Cambodia and Thailand clash on border

Thursday, February 17, 2011
By Claire Wardlaw
The Guilfordian (Guilford College)

The ancient, sacred Preah Vihear Temple of the Hindu people has recently become a casualty of — and is even considered one of the catalysts for — a bloody clash between countries that has thus far cost at least eleven lives. Located on the border of Cambodia right next to Thailand, the temple has been the site of a vicious battle since February 4

"There is a history of violence there," Assistant Professor of Religious Studies Eric Mortensen said of the Cambodian-Thailand region, where the two countries have feuded over territorial and political issues for decades. "It's a terribly ghost-ridden place."

Ever since the battle started a little over a week ago, blood has been shed and holes have been shot through the beloved temple's façade.

"Many factors have contributed to this conflict: a decades-old border dispute, a complex geographical position, the civil war in Cambodia, nationalist sentiment from both countries, and economic interests," said George Guo, associate professor of political science, in an e-mail interview.

Although there are many causes of the violence, one of them is the naming of the temple a World Heritage Site under Cambodian jurisdiction by UNESCO in 2008.

"The United Nations has been declaring places as World Heritage Sites to protect them from development, but there is a lot of ugliness on their hands … the heart and soul of the place is just devastated," said Mortensen regarding UNESCO's global initiative. "It turned into Epcot Center in Disneyland."

This initiative is a project that ignited the nationalistic resistance of Thailand to claim Preah Vihear Temple and establish a political advantage, especially in light of the upcoming national elections, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.

In 1962, the International Court of Justice deemed the temple under Cambodian ownership; yet, that did not quell Thai officials from firing at the Cambodian troops near the Preah Vihear Temple in early February.

"Thailand probably just didn't even notice that had happened officially, never complained about it, understood the place as being part of Cambodia for a long time … and then they started to want it back," said Mortensen regarding the Thai incentive to reclaim the space.

Within three days of the violent outbreak, Cambodia pleaded for U.N. assistance, and with UNESCO being responsible for defending its site, the U.N. Security Council has agreed to address the issue on Monday.

"The dispute of the Preah Vihear Temple has stirred nationalist passions in both Cambodia and Thailand for generations," said Guo, giving some explanation for the conflict over the site, explaining that it is a consistently volatile region, yet not the material for extensive carnage.

"I don't think the fighting will last very long," concluded Mortensen, optimistic that this issue will resolve soon. "I hope it doesn't … there's no real reason for it to be contested at all, other than its history."