It was in the afternoon on Monday 15 December when Norwegian Espen Jacobsen and his girlfriend first became aware that things between Cambodia and Thailand were getting serious. Families of refugees from the Preah Vihear and Oddar Meancheay province on Cambodia’s northern border had sought refuge in the local temple.
The couple lives in the Svay Sa area of Cambodia, about 1.5 hours north of Siem Reap. The week prior, Espen had seen an army helicopter flying above one of the neighbouring villages, but he hadn’t thought much of it. This is not the first time the conflict between Thailand and Cambodia has hit too close to home for the couple.
Touched by the conflict
Espen’s girlfriend is Cambodian, but lived in Thailand for 10 years. The couple used to live together in Rayong province. However, when the war broke out in July, circumstances changed and the girlfriend started to feel unsafe in Thailand.
“She didn’t feel safe being Cambodian in Thailand,” Espen explains. “She speaks Thai, but people were able to pick up her accent. We had some bad experiences with a neighbor.”
So, after spending a summer in Norway, the couple decided to relocate to Cambodia, where they opened a restaurant in Svay Sa.
Refugees in the temple.
When Espen and his girlfriend first went to see the refugees at the temple in the afternoon on Monday 15 December, there were about 30 people staying there. When they returned the following day, the number of refugees had grown to over 150.
“It is families who come. Most people here are kids. Families with one or both parents and the kids. Some families have even brought their pets,” Espen says. “They come down here on motorcycles, and we have also seen many people on the road. Most people are headed to Siem Reap, because they think that it is safer.”
The recent developments in the Thai-Cambodia border has seen more than half a million people displaced and evacuated from the North-western regions of the country.
Helping out
Espen and his girlfriend have decided to help out. They have temporarily closed the restaurant. They are working closely with the local police chief and community leaders to help out in the temple.
“We bought three pigs that we slaughtered for food. I talked to the guy who usually delivers vegetables to our restaurant and had him give it to the refugees. We have brought water for them.”
“I also try to make them happy again, especially the kids. I am the only white person in the village, the only barang, and the kids find that funny, so I play with them and tell jokes just to make them smile.”
Stories from the conflict
The refugees coming down from the north bring stories about bombs and F-16 fighter jets.
“I saw one boy, 17 years old, who was injured by a bomb dropped by an F-16 jet. He has a big wound on his head and cuts on his body.”
“I feel really sad for these people, especially the kids. This is something that is going to stay with them. This is gonna mark people forever,” Espen says.
Espen says he and his girlfriend are determined to stay in Svay Sa to help out.
“I am not too scared, but I think I might be a naive Norwegian. My girlfriend is scared, and people in the village are worried. We are not far from where the fighting is going on.”
The recent escalations of the conflict has seen bombs dropped by Thai fighter jets in Siem Reap province for the first time ever.
Espen has used a lot of his own money to help out the refugees in the temple. He has also had a little luck raising money from people back in Norway.
He and his girlfriend have set up a fundraiser to provide food for the refugees at the local temple. If you wish to donate, click here.
[…] Norwegian eyewitness to Thai-Cambodia conflict: “This is gonna mark people forever” […]