Cambodia–Thailand relations

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Khmer-Thai relations

Cambodia
Thailand

Bilateral relations between Cambodia and Thailand date back to the 13th century during the Angkor Era. Thailand was once Cambodia's arch-enemy. Border disputes in Preah Vihear Province have been on-going since 2008 when the Preah Vihear Temple was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Cambodia has an embassy in Bangkok and Thailand has an embassy in Phnom Penh.

History

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Angkor Era

Angkor Wat.

Following Jayavarman VII's death, Khmer experienced a gradual decline. Important factors were the aggressiveness of neighboring peoples (especially the Thai, or Siamese), chronic interdynastic strife, and the gradual deterioration of the complex irrigation system that had ensured rice surpluses. The Angkorian monarchy survived until 1431, when the Thai captured Angkor Thom and the Cambodian king fled to the southern part of the country.

Longvek Era

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See also: Siamese–Cambodian War (1591–1594)

The Thai conquest of the new capital at Lovek in 1594 marked a downturn in the country's fortunes and Cambodia. Becoming a pawn in power struggles between its two increasingly powerful neighbors, Siam and Vietnam. Cambodia remained a protectorate of Siam. Vietnam's settlement of the Mekong Delta led to its annexation of that area at the end of the 17th century. Vietnam employed a strategy similar to those of North American pilgrims and pioneers: settle and claim. Such foreign encroachments continued through the first half of the 19th century. A successful invasion by Vietnam further limited Thai protectorship in Cambodia and established the kingdom under full Vietnamese suzerainty.

French Protectorate of Cambodia

To prevent the two neighbors, Siam and Vietnam, from swallowing Cambodia, King Norodom invited France to make Cambodia its protectorate, on 11 August 1863. Cambodia remained under France's rule until 9 November 1953.

Conflicts and disputes

2003 riots

In January 2003, riots broke out in Phnom Penh after a Cambodian newspaper incorrectly reported that a Thai actress had stated Angkor Wat properly belonged to Thailand. On 29 January, the Thai embassy was burned, and hundreds of Thai immigrants fled the country to avoid the violence.[1] Cambodians in Phnom Penh burned photos of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Thais in Bangkok protested in front of the Cambodian embassy, burning Cambodian flags. This eventually led to the Thai government to sever diplomatic ties with Cambodia.[2] Prime Minister Hun Sen banned Thai shows and films on TV stations.

2008 border disputes

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Main article: Cambodian–Thai border dispute

The conflict between Cambodia and Thailand over land adjoining the site has led to periodic outbreaks of violence.

Preah Vihear Temple.

A military clash occurred in October 2008.[3] In April 2009, 66 stones at the temple allegedly were damaged by Thai soldiers firing across the border.[4] In February 2010, the Cambodian government filed a formal letter of complaint with Google Maps for depicting the natural watershed as the international border instead of the line shown on the 1907 French map used by the International Court of Justice in 1962.[5]

In February 2011, when Thai officials were in Cambodia negotiating the dispute, Thai and Cambodian troops clashed, resulting in injuries and deaths on both sides.[6] Artillery bombardment in the area occurred during the conflict. The Cambodian government has claimed that damage occurred to the temple.[7] However, a UNESCO mission to the site to determine the extent of the damage indicates that the destruction is a result of both Cambodian and Thai gunfire.[8][9]

Since February 4, both sides have used artillery against each other, and both blame the other for starting the violence.[10] On February 5, Cambodia had formally complained in a letter to the U.N. "The recent Thai military actions violate the 1991 Paris Peace Accord, U.N. Charter and a 1962 judgment from the International Court of Justice", the letter claims.[11] On February 6, the Cambodian government claimed that the temple had been damaged. Cambodia's military commander said: "A wing of our Preah Vihear temple has collapsed as a direct result of the Thai artillery bombardment".[12] However, Thai sources spoke only of minor damage, claiming that Cambodian soldiers had fired from within the temple.[13]

ASEAN, to which both states belong, has offered to mediate over the issue. However, Thailand has insisted that bilateral discussions could better solve the issue.[10] On February 5, the rightwing People's Alliance for Democracy called for the resignation of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva for "failing to defend the nation's sovereignty".[10]

An UNESCO World Heritage convention held in Paris in June 2011 determined to accept Cambodia's management proposal for the temple. As a consequence, Thailand withdrew from the event, with the Thai representative explaining, "We withdraw to say we do not accept any decision from this meeting."[14]

Following a February 2011 request from Cambodia for Thai military forces to be ordered out of the area, judges of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) by a vote of 11–5 ordered that both countries immediately withdraw their military forces, and further imposed restrictions on their police forces. The court said this order would not prejudice any final ruling on where the border in the area between Thailand and Cambodia should fall.[15] Abhisit Vejjajiva said that Thai soldiers would not pull out from the disputed area until the military of both countries agree on the mutual withdrawal. "[I]t depends on the two sides to come together and talk," he said, suggesting that an existing joint border committee would be the appropriate place to plan a coordinated pullback.[16] The ICJ ruled on 11 November 2013 that the area around and below the temple belongs to Cambodia and that any Thai security forces still in that area should leave.[17][18]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ http://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/jan/31/cambodia
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Cambodia Complains of Google Map Mistake at Preah Vihear Temple Archived January 21, 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Petzet, Michael (2010). "Cambodia: Temple of Preah Vihear". In Christoph Machat, Michael Petzet and John Ziesemer (Eds.), Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Berlin: hendrik Bäßler verlag, 2010
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ "Thai-Cambodia clashes 'damage Preah Vihear temple'", BBC, February 6, 2011
  13. ↑ www.manager.co.th/IndoChina (Thai)
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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