By Mong Palatino
The Diplomat
The ongoing border conflict between Cambodia and Thailand can’t just be about the Preah Vihear Temple—if the clashes really are motivated only by patriotic determination to defend ownership, then these two neighbours have gone mad.
The ‘idiocy of the situation,’ as described by Thailand-based twitter user @thaitvnews refers to the irony of two Buddhist countries fighting over a ruined 900-year-old Hindu temple. Let’s also not forget that the contested territory on which the temple is located covers only about 1.8 square miles (4.6 square kilometres). It’s therefore difficult to comprehend why two countries are ready to go to war, and risk dangerous instability in the region, over such a tiny piece of land.
But if it’s not about the temple, then what are they fighting for?
My guess is that the real aim of both Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is to strengthen their respective domestic leadership credentials. The border dispute, despite its unpleasant portrayal in the international press, serves the political interests of Sen and Vejjajiva. The two leaders seem to be basically using this ‘patriotic war’ to drum up civilian support for their governments. More specifically, they could be planning to project the image of a decisive leader ahead of elections—Thais go to the polls this year, and Cambodians next year.
The war could also be a pretext for requesting bigger military budgets this year, while also helping distract the public from their empty pockets and lack of freedoms.
Whatever the motivations, we shouldn’t underestimate the power of nationalism. More Cambodians, for example, seem to be expressing anger in cyberspace these days, especially since their leaders reminded them that the Khmer Empire was once the oldest and largest in the region, but that centuries of war and invasion have trimmed the country to the size of the state of Missouri. Meanwhile, ultra-nationalists in Thailand are trying to prod the government to take over Cambodia’s Angkor Wat in exchange for the Preah Vihear Temple.
Sen and Vejjajiva, who are supposed to be calming their citizens, are only encouraging more hatred by issuing bellicose political statements.
The United Nations is hesitant to intervene, while the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, as expected, is powerless to implement a peaceful settlement of the issue. Still, they probably offer the best outside chance of preventing the tense situation on the border from deteriorating.
But more importantly, let’s hope that the peace-loving citizens of Cambodia and Thailand reject the war rhetoric of the ultra nationalists in their own countries. They should realize that real patriotism isn’t about supporting warmongers, but exposing the unpatriotic motives of their politicians.
7 comments:
Why Hun Sen is a strong man and why we Khmer in war with Thailand?
Please see this website:
"http://www.legrandvillage.com/post/geopol/asie/preah-vihear/#more-3576"
ពត័មានមិនច្បាស់ការណ៍ពីទីក្រុងបាងកក
នៅថ្ងៃទី24ឬ28ខែកុម្ភះនិងខែមិនាខាងមុខនឹងមានសង្គ្រាមធំមួយកើតឡើងរវាងទ័ពខ្មែរ-ថៃនៅតាមតមបន់ប្រាសាទព្រះវិហារនិងតាមតំបន់ជាយដែនខ្មែរ-ថៃ
ដូច្នេះសូមបងប្អូនមេត្តាជ្រាបជាពត៍មាន
សូមអរគុណ
HUn SEn's regime is the regime that cambodian people must be slave to them, look at Hun Sen families, relative, friends are billionairs, millionairs where do they get the money from? Hun Sen always say in his speech Cambodia just get up from war, just get up from Zero with empty hands and how come they are billionairs, millionairs but innocent cambodian people are so poor.
This war is about to eliminate Hun Sen's regime. American, UN and the world are hate Hun SEn's regime. All cambodian people are also hate Hun Sen's regime.
Khmer girl Ms. Rattana Keo,
khmer had fallen in slave in this war with thai .china and viet nam are the master mind to created of this crisis .in thai country had cloning with china in many year ,so this time ,china need to handle with their own hand .
កុំស្តាប់ពួកអាបក្សនៅប្រទេសខ្មែរចាប់ផ្តើមវាយសៀម
ទៅពីព្រោះពួកវាមិនដែលធ្វើសង្គ្រាមនោះទេ។បើចាបបានពួកវាកុំភ្លេចអារកពួកវាចោលផងដើម្បីឲ្យសំនឹង
ពួកវាបានធ្វើបាបពលរដ្ធខ្មែរដែលបានរស់នៅតាម
ជុំរំទល់ដែនកាលពីឆ្នាំ១៩៧៩។
the row is to divert attention about the Eastern border with Yourn as they are trying to finish their border encroachment. We never had issue with Thai about this before.
true to some degree! typical of asian countries like these neighbors, really! perhaps from all of this chaos, there ought be a law to prevent them from using ancient temples, racism, hatred, etc for political gain, etc, really! think about how that could solve many unwarranted conflicts! for them, both siem and khmer, this type of whipping up nationalism for political gain has been going on for ages already, it's almost in their gene now. only new law and new foresight will prevent or lessen this kind of exploitation, i think!
students who study international conflict and resolution should discuss and debate on this type of conflict. khmer and siem are one prime example for this type of study, i believe!
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