“We solved that war, you probably saw it just, came out over the wire, so we solved it through trade. …. I am proud to be the President of Peace.”
-Donald Trump (President of United States of America)
Thailand and Cambodia: A Brief Positing in South-East Asia
Historically known as the Siam Kingdom, and today officially the Kingdom of Thailand; Thailand is situated in Southeast Asia on the Indochinese Peninsula. Sharing maritime boundaries with Vietnam to the southeast and Indonesia and India to the southwest, with Bangkok as its capital, Thailand has always been a major player of trade and commerce for much of the countries situated in the Southeast Asia.
Thailand and the South-Indian kingdom of Chola rulers (comprising of rulers such as- Karikala Chola, Vijayala Chola, Rajaraja I, Rajendra Chola, Rajadhiraja Chola) had immense bilateral relationships which are celebrated even today (Adi Thiruvatirai Festival commemorating 1000 years of Rajendra Chola I’s legacy and legendary maritime expedition to the South East Asia- Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, etc) and hence, Indian ties with Thailand and other south-east Asian countries are inseparable, having a reciprocal effect on each other’s diplomatic affairs.
Apart from supporting a rich vibrant heterogenous cultural identity, Thailand is is the gateway to much of the trade and commerce in the South East Asian seas, the South China Sea, and the larger area of the Indian Ocean. Thailand, thus is quintessential for global trade, for maintenance of stable diplomatic maritime ties, as well as for better integration of the Indian Oceanic Region.
Cambodia is another country lying the mainland southeast Asia, with borders connecting itself to Laos, Vietnam and the Gulf of Thailand. Historically having string ties with the South Indian Chola Kingdoms and the ones following it, the country today hosts heterogenous cultural identity with Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam dominating the scenes of the spectrum. The Angkor Wat Temple and the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshwara at Prasat Bayon, highlight the importance of a mixed cultural heritage of Cambodia. Cambodia is extremely necessary and inevitable for maintaining balance in the world trade structure, particularly in the textiles and the apparel sector, highlighting a complete integration with the global demand/supply and value chains. Cambodia has shown relative inclination towards free trade agreements, and has always striven to enhance its trade bonding with major international players.
The aforementioned moot points specifically highlight the inevitability of Thailand and Cambodia’s position in global affairs. It can be safely concluded that an equidistant balance, a harmonious relationship and a relatively stable Southeast Asia is completely and inevitably dependent on the stability shared by Thailand and Cambodia. However, the recent clashes between the two nations has sparked certain concerns over the world.
Thailand and Cambodia share deep diplomatic and bilateral ties between themselves, rooted in the history of the Khmer Empire, and non-colonisation of the Thai land, with Cambodia becoming a buffer state in the later ages of industrialisation and colonisation. However, Preah Vihar Temple Complex (a UNESCO-Heritage site) has always been a bone of contention between the two.
The Preah Vihar Temple Complex: An Unsolved, Disputed and Contentious Conflict Land between Thailand and Cambodia
The recent direct armed conflict between Thailand and Cambodia had the world at its knees. After witnessing the dreadful Russia-Ukraine war (still ongoing), the Israel-Gaza conflict, the Druze-Syrian ethic conflict, and the basic posturing shown by the US President Donald Trump, every now and then, by inflicting tariffs and unwanted restrictions on world trade; the world of course, was not ready for another regional face-off.
The now regional conflict between Thailand and Cambodia is however at a pause, but not at all totally resolved, because the issue over which they were and have always been having conflicts is still not completely put off the table. Even though a ceasefire has been reached with the help of regional leaders, especially the Malaysian premier, the military conflict is still said to be ongoing. In the ongoing conflict- Cambodia has relatively claimed to have occupied Mom Bei and Prasat Ta Meun Thom, whereas Thailand has declared to have occupied Chong Ahn Ma and 90% of the Phu Makhuea Peak.
Preah Vihar Temple is an ancient Hindu Temple, which was built by the Khmer Empire, located on the Dangrek Mountains, in the Preah Vihar province of the Cambodian nation. The temple is reverentially dedicated to Lord Shiva and all major Hindu festivals dedicated to Lord Shiva are celebrated here. Sources point out to the creation of the temple by assistance and patronage provided by Suryavarman I and Suryavarman II, possibly in the 11the and 12th centuries.The temple was declared as a UNESCO world heritage site in 2008, and further escalation between the two nations was again escalated, prompting another ruling by the International Court of Justice ruling in 2013.
The temple complex is rich in architectural and cultural heritage, with citizens of both Thailand and Cambodia worshiping the temple deity, with utmost dedication and spiritual surrender. However, the same is shrouded by the repeated conflicts and armed disputed between both the nations.
The dispute over the Preah Vihar Temple is not a new dispute in the region. It dates back to the Franco-Siamese Treaty of the year 1907, which was signed between the Kingdom of Thailand and the French Third Republic. Situated today in the Preah Vihar province of Cambodia, Preah Vihar has not been accepted as a part of the Cambodian empire by the Thai governments, over the years.
The Preah Vihar Temple was awarded to the Cambodian side (after years of conflicts, skirmishes, armed conflicts between both the nations) by the International Court of Justice in the year 1962- however, as mentioned earlier, the nationalist sentiments from both the sides have never ever left the disputed land, free of conflicts. Repeated incursions, conflicts and between both the nations have led to imbalance between the larger peace in the South East Asian nations.
The conflict particularly, gained momentum on July 24, with injuries inflicted on both the sides, and world leaders taking their sides, as per their own vested interests. This was perhaps the worst fighting between both the nations, in the recent times. Both the countries have accused the other and have suitably played the victim card to garner maximum support in the international arena.
The peace between both the nations, is much warranted to maintain larger peace in the surrounding region. The present conflict is a bit different from the previous ones, because the personal feud between Thailand’s Thaksin Shinawatra and Cambodia’s Hun Sen has added a prestige-angle to the present conflict as well.
Conflicts in the Present World: A Cue for Imbalance in the Global Order
In today’s hyper-connected world, it is impossible to not to depend on one’s neighbours. The global economic supply chains and the interconnected trade agreements do not leave any scope for any country, whatsoever, to be dependent on itself solely The same is unimaginable and impossible in the digitised world today. Thailand and Cambodia, both are related to each other by the way of history, diplomacy and geography- not to mention cultural, traditional, and people-to-people ties that exist between the two.
Even though the Preah Vihar Temple dispute has been resolved by the International Court of Justice, much beyond the infightings between both the nations, then Cambodia and Thailand must at all costs, strive to maintain peace and stability in the region, based on this ruling. Trying to establish any kind of status quo ante, is not only internationally unwise and diplomatically a death knell for both the nations.
The present conflict even though, has now ended, but the same has not been put to its final rest. Both the nations, keeping in mind the global international stability and order, as well as interests of all the nations in the South East Asian Region as well as the Indian Ocean region, before taking any dangerous steps ahead. India has harmonious bilateral ties with each of these nations and has always pitched in favour of dialogue and diplomacy, supporting diplomatic channels to resolve any disputes. This philosophy is a necessity in today’s dilemmatic world order, to maintain world order, rules-based order, multilateral integrity and a balanced international status quo.
