BAN NONG JAN vs. CAMBODIAN REFUGEES IN 1979
The displaced civilians in Thailand are more than just refugees.
They are professionals, entrepreneurs, laborers, skilled
workers and most importantly family providers. They are not
afraid to take risks, and they sacrifice themselves every day
for their families, their communities, their country and the
good of humanity to make a better world. They make not only
Cambodia better, but they make Thailand and even the region
better through their commitment. The fact that they are suffering
is a tragedy for not only Cambodia and Thailand but also the
region because cross-border trade, exchange and immigration
are the drivers of innovation, modernization, and the peace
and security of the world.
– YOUK CHHANG
Director, Documentation Center of Cambodia
*I used to live in Khao-I-Dang (KID) Refugee Holding Center in
Thailand and PRPC (The Philippines Refugee Processing Center)
during the 1980s.
Photo by Esther Segal in Paris.
August 19, 2025
