What game is Thailand playing?

By Cambodiabeyondshadow

6th November, 2009

Cambodia is playing a game that we never want to play at all. What is the interest for Cambodia in hurting bilateral relations? But when the relations were already bad, there are needs for Cambodia to play such a nasty game to return to the status quo. Now it looks like Cambodia is hurting Thailand by using Thaksin Shinawatra. But why it takes such a long time to make Thai understand that what we interest most is not Thaksin nor Thai internal affairs, but the border issues and Preah Vihear. It is Thailand who is hurting Cambodia. Thailand has never ceased to meddle in Cambodia’s Preah Vihear issues and she does not show any intention to proceed with border talk, and this is what really makes Cambodia frustrating. But why the Nation and Bangkok Post overlook this point?

Now here is the point I don’t understand about Thailand. Who is the real actor by the way? The Democrat government or the army? To me, they seem to act like good police and bad police. Before the Democrat government said they did not want to strain bilateral ties, but the army acted in a different way by pushing their forces forward to the border, and Thailand gave us an impression that it was not the Democrat government who ordered the troop deployment. But now it is the reverse. The bad police role is being played by the Democrat government. They acted on international stage by diplomatically protest against Cambodia and UNESCO. Again, it is a matter of Cambodia’s Preah Vihear. But now the army is acting like a good police, when the Democrat government play the bad police role. Now you can see every articles quoted Anupong or other Thai military at the border as saying: “the bilateral ties is normal. Border situation is normal. We don’t want to see any conflict or armed friction. Everything needs to be settled peacefully….” blah, blah, blah.

But the question is WHEN will Thai return to the border talk, and WHO will be the trustable negotiator? For Cambodia, I don’t think we can sit at a table with A Thai smilingly speaking diplomatic paroles with us while having ANOTHER Thai behind our back sticking a gun at us.