Sun, 26 Oct 2008Op-Ed by Chanda Chhay
The shootouts between the Thai and Cambodian armed forces which resulted in casualties on both sides beg an urgent question: What made two members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), whose charter is to never permit its members to use military action against one another, engage in an armed clash? Now that it has happened, one must wonder aloud whether ASEAN’s charter is worth as much as the pieces of paper on which it was written.
From the surface of it, the rancor between Thailand and Cambodia was over a parcel of disputed land near the Khmer Temple of Preah Vihear which Cambodia has enlisted it as a World Heritage site. However, as events unfold, it is painfully clear that the real issue behind Thailand’s motive appears to be not so much about the disputed land but rather to divert and avert political meltdown in Bangkok, which has been threatening the stability of Thai politics for quite some time now.
To fully understand how the armed confrontation which led to fire fights between Thailand and Cambodia come about, one must trace through a series of events. Clearly, the trigger point was the listing of Preah Vihear Temple as a World Heritage site, and the subsequent illegal trespass of two Thai nationals into the temple’s premise which was internationally recognized as Cambodian territory. The culprits were arrested and sent back to Thailand within a couple of hours—a normal procedure between neighboring countries which are not hostile to each other. In response to the incident, Thailand returned its gratitude to Cambodia by sending armed forces into a Cambodian pagoda which is located in Cambodian territory. Though Thailand never clearly stated what the motive behind sending its troops into a Cambodian pagoda was, this provocative action appears to have only one aim: To entangle Cambodia in a political tango dance so that it could be used as a sideshow to alleviate and, perhaps, solve Thailand’s domestic political crisis.
There is a well known mantra within ASEAN community that no nation should interfere in the affairs of others. But there is no provision forbidding member nations from using others as pawns to solve their domestic political crises. This is what appears to be at the core of the current rancor between Cambodia and Thailand. Unless there is a solution to Thailand’s domestic political problem, the confrontation between Thailand and Cambodia over a parcel of land near Preah Vihear Temple will not likely come to an end any time soon.
Chanda Chhay
Washington, DC (USA)
From the surface of it, the rancor between Thailand and Cambodia was over a parcel of disputed land near the Khmer Temple of Preah Vihear which Cambodia has enlisted it as a World Heritage site. However, as events unfold, it is painfully clear that the real issue behind Thailand’s motive appears to be not so much about the disputed land but rather to divert and avert political meltdown in Bangkok, which has been threatening the stability of Thai politics for quite some time now.
To fully understand how the armed confrontation which led to fire fights between Thailand and Cambodia come about, one must trace through a series of events. Clearly, the trigger point was the listing of Preah Vihear Temple as a World Heritage site, and the subsequent illegal trespass of two Thai nationals into the temple’s premise which was internationally recognized as Cambodian territory. The culprits were arrested and sent back to Thailand within a couple of hours—a normal procedure between neighboring countries which are not hostile to each other. In response to the incident, Thailand returned its gratitude to Cambodia by sending armed forces into a Cambodian pagoda which is located in Cambodian territory. Though Thailand never clearly stated what the motive behind sending its troops into a Cambodian pagoda was, this provocative action appears to have only one aim: To entangle Cambodia in a political tango dance so that it could be used as a sideshow to alleviate and, perhaps, solve Thailand’s domestic political crisis.
There is a well known mantra within ASEAN community that no nation should interfere in the affairs of others. But there is no provision forbidding member nations from using others as pawns to solve their domestic political crises. This is what appears to be at the core of the current rancor between Cambodia and Thailand. Unless there is a solution to Thailand’s domestic political problem, the confrontation between Thailand and Cambodia over a parcel of land near Preah Vihear Temple will not likely come to an end any time soon.
Chanda Chhay
Washington, DC (USA)
4 comments:
ហា ហា អាសំដាចម៍ អគ្គមហាសេវាដៃចោរ ហ៊ុន សែន។
អា សំដាចម៍ ហ៊ុន សែន = អា ហ៊ុន សែន សមនឹងអាចម៍! ហា ហា
Hey! stupit guy! So you are better than him.You just take care your family good and we will call you a good man/woman.If khmer have the person like you Cambodia country will go back to the past.
10:15 pm. What is this?
មុខ អាសំដាច់ម៍ ហ៊ុន សែន សមនឹងអាចម៍
សំដាចម៍ = សមនឹងអាចម៍
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