A Brief History of the Conflict
Situated in Southeast Asia, the Khmer Empire is known as one of the most ancient empires in history. It commenced in the year 802 when a Khmer prince declared himself as the “worldwide ruler.” Also referred to as the “Angkorian Empire,” the empire ruled most of Southeast Asia and extended its influence into eastern China. Following the demise of the renowned ruler Jayavarman VII, the empire began to show signs of decline. The empire faced threats from its neighboring tribes. The Thai and Cham tribes took advantage of the Khmer empire’s divisive internal conflicts.
The Sukothai Kingdom, led by the Thai tribes, defeated the army of Jayavarman VIII in the 13th century. This was a devastating defeat, and it is known as the “defining war” of the Khmer Empire. In 1594, the new capital, Lovek, was conquered by the Thai tribes. After this conquest, Cambodia became a “puppet” of its neighboring countries. Siam and Vietnam, which were Cambodia’s neighbors, had advanced weaponry and had well-equipped militaries. After Siam captured Cambodia, Cambodian rulers were taken hostage and held captive.
Thailand had to take away all the power from Cambodia after Vietnam kept asserting its control. Noticing this tension, the Cambodian king, Norodom, asked for France’s assistance. Thus, on 11 August 1863, Cambodia came under France’s protectorate. This protectorate continued till 1953.
The period of the 1970s was a genocidal era for Cambodia. The tyrannical and vindictive ruler, named Khmer Rouge, inflicted several torments on the citizens of the Democratic Kampuchea. This created several Cambodian refugees who were displaced. Vietnam had to intervene, and in 1979, it ended Kampuchea and dismissed the Khmer Rouge. Kampuchea was replaced with a Soviet-backed republic, which paved the way for a war that lasted for eleven years. Thailand made its refusal of the Soviet republic very clear and endorsed the already dismantled Kampuchea. The fear of the Vietnamese influence on Cambodian refugees drove the attack on the Cambodian refugee camps by Thai soldiers.
The Tensions in the 21st Century
Media plays a pivotal role in promoting political tensions between rival countries. In January 2003, an article in a Cambodian newspaper caused several riots. The article falsely stated that renowned Thai actress Suvanant Kongying believed that Cambodia had “wrongfully seized” Angkor Wat from Thailand. The statement was not backed by any concrete evidence. The controversial statement was immediately picked up by Cambodian newspapers, and the Cambodian prime minister was quick to publicly bash and chastise Suvnant. Thus, the government of Cambodia banned all Thai television programs and magazines.
The riots were extremely violent, and the Thai embassy was left in shambles. Thailand had to eventually close its borders with Cambodia to safeguard its citizens. Although the entire scenario is rumored to be staged and orchestrated, there is no evidence that can fortify this claim. It is safe to say that this controversy unleashed a wave of nationalism in the Cambodian citizens. The nationalist riots did go too far, and several activists had to be arrested.
There have been several border issues as well between the two countries. Since Cambodia’s emancipation in 1953, the border has created a frictional relationship between the two countries. To be precise, the countries have fought over the ownership of several religious and historical sites. The holy Preah Vihar temple came under the ownership of Cambodia after the International Court of Justice intervened in 1962. However, Thailand was not satisfied with this decision. The ownership of Ko Kut Island also became a dispute. Although these disputes started to get neglected during the genocidal period of the 1970s, they were brought up again during the 2000s.
The infamous clash between the Thai and Cambodian troops in February 2011 resulted in severe bloodshed and violence. The altercation occurred in Cambodia while Thai officials visited to discuss the disputes. A UNESCO mission concluded that the bloodshed was a consequence of both Thai and Cambodian gunfire. It is unclear who initiated the violence, as both sides point fingers at the other.
The cultural rivalry is evident, and there have been several debates online on which culture is superior to the other. It may sound trivial, but these arguments do heighten tensions between the two countries. While the citizens of Thailand argue that their Khon dance is more modest and refined than the Cambodian Apsara dance, the Cambodians accuse Thais of cultural appropriation. A contemporary issue occurred during the 2019 Miss Universe competition, where Miss Thailand wore a Khmer-style costume, which Cambodians argued was a part of their cultural heritage.
The Current Tensions
This year, the month of May reignited tensions that were quite subdued. On the 28th of May, there was a physical altercation between Thai and Cambodian soldiers on the border. The consequence of this altercation was the demise of one Cambodian soldier. The spokesperson of the Cambodian soldiers stated that Thai soldiers were the first to fire. However, the Thai spokesperson argued that the Cambodian soldiers refused to withdraw their guns after the Thai soldiers attempted to persuade them.
This altercation opened the door for several hostilities. On the 24th of July, Thai soldiers could notice Cambodian jets flying near a prestigious temple known as “Prasat Ta Muen Thom.” On the same day, the Cambodian troops openly fired on the Thai soldiers. The justification Cambodia gave for this attack was that Thai forces had prohibited entry into the temple and had planned an assault on the Cambodian soldiers.
This attack was not the only attack that happened during the day. A petrol station located in the Sisaket province of Thailand was attacked by a Cambodian rocket, and it resulted in several fatalities. At around 3 pm, the Thai military chose to retaliate with “Operation Yuttha Bodin.” Led by General Pana, the operation aims to respond to the torments inflicted by the Cambodian army. The Thai air force condemned Cambodia’s strategic decision to attack and harm innocent civilians and has promised the safety and protection of its citizens.
Casualties and attacks continue to this date, and several civilians and soldiers have lost their lives. However, there is room for negotiation.Cambodian politician Hun Menet has requested a meeting with Thailand to put an end to the hostilities. Thailand, however, has clear proof that Cambodia has invaded its boundaries and needs to cease its attacks immediately. In its letter to the UNSC, Thailand has stated that Cambodia’s activities are violations of global law, and it would prefer no international assistance in reaching a middle ground. Thailand had refused the offer of a ceasefire from the Malaysian prime minister and demanded that this issue be solved bilaterally.
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The views and opinions expressed in this article/paper are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Paradigm Shift.
Bilal Ahmed Rashid is an aspiring marketing analyst and an avid reader. He is an observant individual who loves to share his versatile opinions on ongoing issues.
