Cambodia accuses Thailand of 'psychological warfare' with ghostly broadcasts along border

Cambodia has accused Thailand of using eerie, ghost-like broadcasts along their disputed border, calling the move an act of "psychological warfare" amid fragile peace between the two nations.

According to a Guardian report, former Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen, now serving as senate president, claimed that Thailand had been transmitting "haunting sounds" across the border despite a ceasefire agreement signed in July.

In a Facebook post, Hun Sen, 73, said that Cambodia's human rights commission had lodged a formal complaint with the United Nations, describing the noises as "intense, high-pitched" and deeply distressing.

He shared a letter dated 11 October from the commission addressed to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, condemning what it called "a grave violation of human rights involving the use of disturbing sounds as a form of psychological intimidation and harassment" along the Thai-Cambodian border.

The Cambodian Human Rights Commission said it received credible reports from local authorities and residents in border villages alleging that Thai military units had been broadcasting "haunting sounds resembling wailing ghosts through loudspeakers" followed by aircraft engine noises throughout the night.

According to the commission, these noises, which continued for long durations, "disrupted sleep, provoked anxiety and caused physical discomfort", potentially heightening tensions between the neighbouring nations.

The Thai government has yet to comment on the allegations.

Hun Sen also shared a statement from Cambodia's foreign minister, who said the matter had been raised with Malaysia, the country that mediated peace talks leading to the ceasefire.

Thailand and Cambodia reached an "immediate and unconditional" ceasefire in July following negotiations in Malaysia, aimed at ending the deadliest border clashes in over a decade. 

At least 38 people were killed, and more than 300,000 were displaced during the conflict, which followed months of escalating hostilities, including trade bans and symbolic protests.

The ceasefire was declared after then-US President Donald Trump said he had spoken with leaders of both countries and warned that ongoing trade negotiations would be suspended until fighting stopped. Trump is expected to oversee a formal peace agreement between Cambodia and Thailand on the sidelines of the upcoming ASEAN Summit in Malaysia later this month.

Tensions have resurfaced, however, as Thailand recently accused Cambodia of laying new landmines along the border - a claim Phnom Penh has denied. 

According to Reuters, landmine explosions have maimed at least six Thai soldiers since July, sparking renewed clashes.

Cambodia maintains that the soldiers accidentally stepped on leftover ordnance from its decades-long civil war, which left the country among the most heavily mined in the world.