April 26, 2011
Global Post
A cursory review of the deadly tit-for-tat shelling along the Thai-Cambodia border suggests two nations are killing each other to claim grounds surrounding an ancient Hindu temple.
However, as I recently wrote, "the two nations are ostensibly warring over less than two square miles of scrubby land. But this disputed territory — devoid of gems, oil or any valuable resource — has also become the focal point of a struggle to preserve national honor and save political face."
Are there even darker motives afoot?
Op-eds and reports in the Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine and The Economist are now openly suggesting that the Thai military may be whipping up conflict in a wag-the-dog game to stoke a national crisis and thus create context for calling off coming elections.
The army's favored party, now in power, could possibly lose the election. Victory for the opposition could spell out amnesty for fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, the populist mogul minister bounced by the military in a 2006 coup. That scenario is unimaginably horrid to the powerful military figures who booted Thaksin in the first place.
Wagging the dog only works if the dog doesn't know it's being wagged, right? If Western media outlets were to uncover this alleged game, wouldn't this subterfuge fail?
Only if Thai voters read English-language outlets such as the Wall Street Journal. And, for the most part, they don't.
Thai papers, which are less apt to challenge the military, offer a blow-by-blow account of Thai soldiers defending their ground and sustaining attacks from "Khmer troops."
In one prominent Thai daily, Matichon, we have the foreign minister declaring that "patience has run out" and that "we won't accept living under Khmer bullets anymore." Competitor Thai Rath has accounts of Cambodian soldiers "violating territory." Photos show wounded Thai troops wheeled off on stretchers and displaced villagers squatting on shelter floors.
We also have the deputy Thai prime minister sounding downright exasperated at speculation the election might be cancelled.
"I've had to answer this question everyday, whether there will be an election or not," Thailand's deputy PM, Suthep Thaugsuban, told Matichon. "It's positively clear. I've yet to convey anything that would create misunderstanding among our brothers and sisters."
Meanwhile, Thailand's interior minister confirms that, actually, the clashes may prevent the parliament dissolution that would precede new elections. And Thaksin's camp has even had to deny a wild conspiracy that the self-exiled mogul is secretly commanding Cambodian soldiers to attack Thailand.
Is the military fighting to preserve Thailand's territory and honor? Or is it staging conflict to upend a coming election?
The answer depends on where you get your news.
4 comments:
Thailand is a cancerous state that threaten the over all health of the United Nations.
First, Thailand is a self-colony.The South,the North and Northeast regions of Thailand are colonized by the Central Bangkok. The military establishment runs this long lasting colonial state up into the 21st century.
Second, Thailand oppresses its own people by overthrowing 3 consecutive elected governments and installed a puppet Abhisit regime.
Third, Thai military invaded Cambodia to evoke false nationalist sentiment and make war with Cambodia, hence reenforce its own supreme enterprise.
Fourth, Thai military regime never respect international laws,treaties,conventions etc...they forced away refugees to die in high sea,planting new mine in Cambodia, using cluster bomb and poison gas bomb.
fifth, Thai now practicing the ethnic cleansing policy by creating war zone that both sides of the border are Khmer and minority Khmer living in Thailand.
The world should take a closer look at this cancerous state before it spread out of control.
Cambodia now forces itself into an arm race and fighting war with Thailand. Do not blame Cambodia if it gets closer to North Korea or Iran to get weapons for self-defense purpose.
The world had successfully eliminated the Apartheid regime of South Africa. Now the world should get rid of this Thai colonial dictatorship hidden behind civilian administration and keep producing false pride to its own populace by claiming that Thailand is the only one nation which had never been under European colony in SE Asia.
The United States should not let Thai using their high tech weapons to invade a poor country which had just emerged from the worst catastrophe that almost 2 millions people had died.
Cambodians are spiritual people on earth their ancestors had left behind many monuments representing mankind achievement and they offered those monuments to the world as common heritage.
The world should not let the barbaric Thai commit such an act of aggression with impunity.
The reason Thai joint Nato force to fight extremist terrorist is to hide behind the major force of the world so Thais themselves could terrorize it neighbor states.
Amazing comment!
excelence comment
Thank you sooooo much !!! You have said nothing but the true. May God Bless You and us all..
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