Cambodia's senate president, Hun Sen, has accused Thailand of blasting high-pitched "ghost sounds" at the disputed border.
Hun Sen, the former prime minister, said Cambodia's human rights commission has written to the UN to investigate the "intense, high-pitched noises" that were causing anxiety and discomfort among people living near the border.
According to human rights groups, who described the move as psychological warfare, pre-recorded and high-decibel sounds of "ghosts", wailing children, howling dogs, and rattling chains have been broadcasted through loudspeakers at night since October 10.
The disturbing update came after Cambodia and Thailand agreed to a ceasefire along the border following talks in Malaysia in July, ending the worst clash between the two countries in a decade that claimed nearly 40 lives.
On Thursday, October 16, Hun Sen shared a letter dated October 11 from the commission to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk.
The letter said the tactic was a "grave violation of human rights involving the use of disturbing sounds as a form of psychological intimidation and harassment" along the border between the two countries.
Hun Sen said he had spoken with Malaysia's deputy prime minister, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, to inform him about the alleged noise campaign.
He also expressed his gratitude to Malaysian leader Anwar Ibrahim for helping to broker the ceasefire but said the situation along the border remained tense.
Child Rights Coalition Cambodia said the relentless noise campaign by Thailand is having an adverse impact on children’s mental health, leading to symptoms of trauma and anxiety.
Kannawat Pongpaibulwech, a self-proclaimed Thai fighter and influencer, has claimed responsibility for blasting the loud sounds along the border, according to The Nation, with the permission of the Thai Army overseeing border security.
He said his aim was to drive out Cambodian settlers encroaching into Thai territory, according to the report.
The five days of clashes in July saw both sides exchange artillery fire and air strikes along contested stretches of their 817 km border. It was their deadliest border conflict in more than a decade that left hundreds of thousands displaced.
