Among the neighbouring countries of Southeast Asia, none seems more similar to Thailand than Cambodia (perhaps not even excluding Laos and the ―Tai people Thailand and Cambodia share an approximately 800-kilometre long border. Historically, their respective peoples, the Siamese and Khmers, had continually interacted through the exchange of culture, marriage and trade.
Such interaction even predated the Sukhothai kingdom, the supposedly first Thai kingdom that came into being in 1238. From the period of Sukhothai to the rise of Ayutthaya, another Thai kingdom founded in 1351, the Siamese looked up to their Khmer neighbours and embraced their advanced civilisation. Successive Siamese kings were filled with tremendous admiration for anything Khmer, ranging from the art, architecture, language and royal rituals. David Wyatt said that Ayutthaya inherited much from Angkor as the former was rising to become a major power in mainland Southeast Asia. But the Khmer civilisation eventually sank into decline. In 1431, Ayutthaya‘s army invaded and destroyed Angkor, the seat of the Khmer Empire, transforming this ancient kingdom into one of Siam‘s vassals. but Thai historians have been reluctant to make this analogy as it would cast Thais in the role of "villains".
Relentless attacking and demeaning Khmers
While making Cambodia the enemy of the state, some Thai political figures tried to demonise the Cambodian leaders on a personal level. In October 2008, Kasit Piromya of the Democrat Party, a well-known sympathiser of the PAD, appeared on the televised political talk show ―Khom Chut Leuk and insulted PM Hun Sen. He called PM Hun Sen a kui, a derogatory term meaning a tramp, a vagrant or a gangster. He thought Hun Sen was bah, meaning deranged or mentally imbalanced. Kasit believed Hun Sen did not want good relations with Thailand and speculated that he was a khikha, or slave, of Thaksin. These disparaging terms were used against Hun Sen in order to satisfy the nationalistic need of the PAD and the Democrat Party. At various points in the interview, Kasit characterised Thailand as belonging to a higher class, in contrast to the unrefined Hun Sen. To him, Cambodia was sullied with corruption and Hun Sen was the gangster of Southeast Asia. Kasit also reportedly said, ―I will use Hun Sen‘s blood to wash my feet. His statement reminded many Cambodians of the tragic death of their King, Lovek. PM Hun Sen responded to Kasit with equally provocative language. He challenged, What if I insult your king? What would you say if I insulted your prime minister and your ancestors? I‘m not angry with you, but please use dignified words.
(Note: this article is intended for Khmers to understand the Thai ideology, thanks from L.C).
2 comments:
False memories and the rise of paranoid nationalistic &PAD wish list
(Thai Ideology)
Thais aroused a sense of nationalism among the Thais. Proclaiming themselves as defenders of the Thai nation, They then connected the Preah Vihear issue to the loss of Thailand‘s territorial integrity and the failure of the state. They deliberately obscured the fact that UNESCO earlier clarified that Cambodia‘s request had nothing to do with remaining boundary disputes or overlapping sovereignty between the two countries, especially the contentious "4.6 square kilometres" that surround the temple. The theme of the loss of territories propagated Thais being robbed of their lands by greedy farang (or Westerners, without specific race or nationality) powers in the past and by sinister Cambodians in the modern day. False memories and the rise of paranoid nationalistic anxiety convinced many Thais that the country was poised to lose its sovereignty over the surrounding areas because of the Joint Communiqué. It can be observed that the myth of lost territories was still thriving among many Thais. the PAD and the opposition party wanted to turn this friendly marketplace back to a battlefield.
PAD and the Democrat Party resurrected the Thai taboo of khay chart, or selling the country, to rationalise their scheme to overthrow the Samak government. Khay chart is a serious accusation in Thailand. The notion has no place in Thai history.
Thais re-invented the image of the Cambodians as Thailand‘s adversary. Sondhi Limthongkul, leader of the PAD, recommended a resolution of the conflict by force. He said," Our sacred mission is to protect our motherland and take back Thai territory". He also proposed that:
A commission must be set up to invite Cambodia to bilateral negotiations. If the dispute cannot be settled, Thailand would, temporarily adhering to the ICJ‘s ruling, mobilise Thai troops, push Cambodians back from Thai territory, and formally inform Cambodia that, apart from the Preah Vihear temple, the surroundings belong to Thailand, and Thailand would pay any price to protect its sovereignty, even at the cost of war.
Sondhi also urges Thai military to seize Angkor Wat in exchange for Preah Vihear temple.
The PAD‘s wish came true. Thailand and Cambodia engaged in a series of deadly clashed. Throughout 2009-2010-2011,leading to a number of deaths and casualties from both sides .
(note: this article intended for Khmer to understand Thai ideology, thanks from L.C)
The new policy of Hun Sen regime today is to kill all Ex Khmer Rouge because they are the true Khmer patriot that can be harmful to Hun Sen regime as Vietnam slave.
Hun Sen regime sends all Ex Khmer rouge soldiers to frontline fighting with Thai army without enough weapons and foods. Hun Sen ordered the front line army do not fire back to Thai Army while they bomb Ex Khmer Rouge over 50 000 shells. These actions are representing very clear that Hun Sen is trying to clear or kill all Ex Khmer Rouge army by using Thai hands.
The true and real Khmer patriots are the enemy of Hun Sen regime. Vietnam is scare of Ex Khmer Rouge Soldiers as they have been defeat Vietnam army (Over 100 000 Vietnam soldiers have been killed by EX Khmer Rouge Army in Cambodia. That is lead to Vietnam withdraw out of Cambodia) before 1993.
Post a Comment