Thursday, July 28, 2011

Trouble Brewing in Thailand?

July 27, 2011
By Tim LaRocco
The Diplomat

With news breaking this week that a Cambodian solider was killed on the border with Thailand, the site of a dispute that was recently adjudicated by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), it’s worth looking at how serious this development could turn out to be.

The Phnom Penh Post reported that Cambodian military officials claimed that Thai soldiers initiated the hostilities from their side of the border:

‘Pok Sophal, a Royal Cambodian Armed Forces commander for Oddar Meanchey’s Trapaing Prasat district, about 100 kilometres from the Preah Vihear temple, claimed that Thai soldiers had opened fire on the soldiers.

‘”We had an appointment for the meeting (between Cambodian and Thai soldiers), and when we were walking, they opened fire at our soldiers,” he said. “They were already prepared to intentionally open fire at us in advance.”’


However, the article then goes on to note that the Cambodian government had a different account of what they believed to have transpired:

‘Phay Siphan, spokesman for the Council of Ministers, yesterday said government officials were still investigating the issue, but that reports of an armed clash were “not accurate”.

‘“Officially, (there was) no confrontation between Cambodian soldiers and Thai soldiers. The casualty that happened was not involved with an armed clash at all,” he said. “The situation on the border is calm, and both sides, they build confidence.”’

If one is to believe the account given by Sophal, the significance of this incident sadly transcends the loss of life of one Cambodian soldier. Instead, the focus would have to be on the aggressive behaviour of the Thai military. This isn’t just because of the recent legal decision by the ICJ – which called for the removal of military personnel on both sides from the site of the Preah Vihear temple and the establishment of an independently monitored demilitarized zone – but because it could foreshadow a potential conflict between the Thai military establishment and the new Pheu Thai government.

Additionally, there’s a question over the role of the outgoing Abhisit administration and what function Thailand’s Democrat Party may have played if it’s determined that Thai soldiers instigated an attack.

As I reported earlier this month, relations between Thailand and Cambodia could be expected to improve considerably when Yingluck Shinawatra assumes the role of prime minister. The Thai military, the fiercely nationalist People’s Alliance for Democracy (Yellow Shirts), and other segments of the Bangkok elite were the biggest losers of Thailand’s elections this month, which swept the Pheu Thai party into power on a swell of support from the country’s poor, rural constituencies. The possibility for dissidence between the various actors within Thailand’s domestic political system is very real, highlighted by myriad coups orchestrated by the military in the past. However, the army did announce that it would accept the latest results in the aftermath of Pheu Thai's landslide victory.

It may, of course, turn out that this is much ado about nothing, and it’s possible that certain Cambodian military leaders are attempting to extract some sort of personal or professional benefit by fabricating a story. We need more details about exactly what happened, but it’s a story worth keeping an eye on in the coming days and weeks.

Tim LaRocco is a graduate student of international relations at The City College of New York. He has travelled throughout the developing world, including stints as a volunteer worker in the Public Parks Department in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and as a researcher for the South African Human Rights Commission in Cape Town. He currently lives in Long Island, New York.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

the UN should look into this. it's possible that the outgoing abullshit gov't did this to make trouble with cambodia and the new elected thai administration and so forth.

Anonymous said...

Ah Ban Ki-Moon love and support Hun Xen Family and Ah CPP.

Anonymous said...

It's a pity the Cambodian govt. is down playing the situation instead of take it directly to the ICJ/UN. We are talking about life just lost. If this was Isreal, they would've taken mad action. Cambodia should learn from Isreal how to protect itself from its neighbors. The UN/ICJ must sent the observers immediately regardless with Thai approval or not only then they will know who's the real trouble maker.

Anonymous said...

ពួកអាឆ្កែបក្សប្រឆាំងរបស់អាសមរង្សីកុំសូវដើរព្រុះ
ពេកក្រែងលោត្រូវក្បាលមួយដំបងរបស់អ្នកស្រុកទៅ

Anonymous said...

Useless, all is useless to negotiate with the Thai scums.

They are the lowest scum there is..

When is Cambodia going to learn this about the Thais?

Anonymous said...

អា ហ៊ុន សែន ជាយូគង ហើយ អាមួយនេះ
ក៏យូគងដែរ។ ពួកអាយូងចូលប្រើដំបង វាយ
ធ្វើបាបរាស្ត្រ វាយក្បាលរាស្ត្រដូចអាខ្មែរក្រហម
ហ៊ុន សែន ឬ អាប៉ុល ពត។
ដូច្នេះ អាពាលវាមិនចោលអាពតទេ។

អាហ៊ុន សែនវាជិតដល់ថ្ងៃខែខ្មែរអូសចោល
ដូចឆ្កែឲ្យត្មាតស៊ីជាមិនខាន ព្រមទាំងមួយនេះ
ដែរ។

អាហ៊ុន សែនពូកែសម្ដី អាយួនស្រកីលូងយក
រាប់ពាន់គីឡូម៉ែត្រ ហើយ អាសៀមក៏យកដី
ខ្មែរបានខ្លះដែរ។សៀមបាញ់កំទេចផ្សារខ្មែរ
ខូចវត្តអារាម។​ សៀមមិនដែលបានដកថយទេ
តាំងឆ្នាំ២០០៨មក​ វាបានយកដី ៤.៦គម២
មួយភាគធំ។
សៀមហ៊ានបាញ់ខ្មែរ តែខ្មែរឥតហ៊ានបាញ់វិញ
ក្នុងថ្ងៃនេះ។