Thailand Should Practice What It Had Preached To Cambodia

Opinion by Khmerization
20th September, 2008
To the Editor of The Nation newspaper
letters@nationgroup.com
Originally posted at http://khmerization.blogspot.com

“The Nation had also advocated that the disputes of temples should not be settled by military means. May I suggest that the Thai military occupations of the Preah Vihear, Ta Moan and Ta Krabey temples were proof that Thailand, due to its military superiority, has dangerously employed standover tactics and military means rather than negotiations as the solutions to the border disputes. Thailand, and for that matter, the Nation, should practise what it had preached to Cambodia, that border disputes should not be settled by military means.”

The editorial titled “No need to inflame border dispute”, published in The Nation on 18th September, 2008 once again proved the Nation’s journalistic true colours and therefore it deserved my attention and warrant my strong response.

This editorial, like “When Cambodia Cries Wolf”, which published in The Nation on the 1st of August, was a brilliant journalistic spin which has cunningly portrayed a victim (Cambodia) as a predator and a perpetrator and turning a real predator and perpetrator (Thailand) into some sort of a hapless victim. In short, The Nation’s editorial styles proved that the Nation is indeed a cunning spin doctor.

The Nation’s accusations that Cambodia had exploited the political crisis in Thailand by opportunistically invading the Ta Krabey temple is based on the Nation’s Thai nationalistic fervour more than the need for an objectivity in its reportage. In fact, it was Thailand, and not Cambodia, who exploited the opportunities. In 1998, Thailand seized an opportunity to send Thai troops to occupy Ta Moan Thom, Ta Moan Toch and Ta Krabey temples when the Khmer Rouge movement, who guarded those temples for years, had disintegrated and the temples were left guard-less.

Thailand had cunningly concocted its version of event regarding the military confrontation at Ta Krabey temple. It accused Cambodian troops of violating Thai sovereignty and territorial integrity. The sheer fact of the event was that more than 140 Thai soldiers forced their way into the temple in the middle of the night and terrorised a small group of Cambodian soldiers who guarded the temple for years. (Read here: Cambodia sent hundreds of troops to Ta Krabey temple).

The Nation had feared that Cambodia’s actions, or reactions, at Ta Krabey temple could jeopardise the already fragile relations between the two countries. The Nation forgot that Thailand’s invasions of Preah Vihear and Ta Moan Thom temples had already jeopardised the Khmer-Thai relations. It was Cambodia who showed restraints which had prevented the armed clashes when Thai soldiers forced their ways into these two temples.

The recent Thai forced occupation of the Ta Krabey, not Ta Kwai, because the word is a translation of the Khmer word, was an opportunistic military venture, dangerously ordered and employed by Thai military leaders who wanted to exploit the political chaos in Thailand, when Thailand was leaderless and the protesters and the military were in charge.

The Nation had also voiced its concerns over the lack of solutions to the disputes over Preah Vihear and Ta Moan temples. The fact of the matter is the reasons that the two countries have not yet resolved the previous disputes over Preah Vihear and Ta Moan temples were because Thailand, due to its lack of sincerity, has intransigently refused to withdraw its troops from those Cambodian territories, even though Cambodia had negotiated in good faith. Thailand only agreed to negotiate as a mean to appease Cambodia not to complain to the UN or the World Court. Thailand’s insincerity was clearly evident in the fact that, after four negotiations, Thai troops are still occupying the Khmer territories that they have invaded.

The Nation had also advocated that the disputes of temples should not be settled by military means. May I suggest that the Thai military occupations of the Preah Vihear, Ta Moan and Ta Krabey temples were proof that Thailand, due to its military superiority, has dangerously employed standover tactics and military means rather than negotiations as the solutions to the border disputes. Thailand, and for that matter, the Nation, should practise what it had preached to Cambodia, that border disputes should not be settled by military means.

The Thai military incursion at Ta Krabey temple was a sheer violation of Cambodian sovereignty and territorial integrity. And the summon of the Cambodian ambassador by Thailand’s Foreign Ministry was an insult to injury. Ta Krabey temple was located inside Khmer territories and was guarded by Cambodian troops for years. By sending the troops in to occupy the temple and twisted the story around by accusing Cambodia of invading its territories, Thailand was cunningly compiling a record and building up a case against Cambodia, should the latter bring the matter to the UN or the International Court of Justice. Very cunning indeed.
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1. Read Kok Sap's response to The Nation newspaper: The Nation: No need to inflame border dispute.