​Truce in tatters: on the Cambodia-Thailand conflict Politics & News

​

The resumption of hostilities between Thailand and Cambodia this week marks a dangerous unravelling of the fragile truce that U.S. President Donald Trump helped broker just two months ago, and a slide toward a conflict that threatens regional stability. The latest escalation began in May, when a Cambodian soldier was killed in skirmishes near the ancient Preah Vihear temple in the contested border region. Cambodia responded by banning Thai goods and closing key border crossings, driving bilateral ties to a new low. In July, five Thai soldiers were injured in a landmine explosion in the same area. Bangkok accused Cambodia of laying mines, and downgraded diplomatic ties. This was followed by cross-border fighting that killed at least 48 people and displaced over 3,00,000 civilians in five days. In late July, a diplomatic push by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, backed by Mr. Trump, produced a ceasefire. But tensions lingered. In November, Thailand announced that it would suspend implementation of the ceasefire after a landmine blast injured several soldiers. That decision set the stage for the fighting on December 7, with Cambodia accusing Thailand of launching air strikes.

The Thai-Cambodian crisis has colonial roots in the Franco-Siamese (Thai) treaties of 1904 and 1907, which defined the boundary between Siam and French Indochina. While these treaties sketched borders along the forested Dângrêk ranges, the line remained largely undemarcated on the ground. The flashpoint has been Preah Vihear, the 11th century Khmer Hindu temple and UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 1962, the International Court of Justice awarded Cambodia sovereignty over the temple, but the dispute has endured in the absence of a mutually accepted border demarcation. The latest flare-up reflects an erosion of trust and hostility between the two nations. Foreign investors and tourists watch nervously as the two ASEAN members exchange fire across the border. ASEAN is already grappling with a far larger challenge in Myanmar where a brutal military regime seems determined to cling to power even at the cost of its own people. If the Thai-Cambodia border crisis metastasises into something worse, South-East Asia’s hard-won reputation for stability and economic cooperation could further be undermined. Regional powers such as Malaysia and Indonesia have both the interests and the influence to facilitate renewed dialogue and must press both sides to return to talks without delay. Once the ceasefire is restored, ASEAN should promote confidence-building measures to address the deep mistrust between the two countries and ensure that another round of fighting does not erupt.