The History Of The Conflict Of The Thai And Cambodian Borders, Has Lasted More Than A Century

YOGYAKARTA - At least 11 people were killed in armed clashes along the Thailand-Kamboja border on Thursday, July 24. The broken fighting follows weeks of tensions that have escalated since May, when a Cambodian soldier was killed in an armed confrontation on the border.

Thailand's Ministry of Defense, on Friday, July 25, reported clashes still taking place in at least six areas along the border. Clashes occurred in an area near the ancient temple of Ta Muen Thom along the borders of Surin and the province of Oddar Meanchey in Cambodia.

The dispute over the border area between Thailand and Cambodia has been going on for more than a century. Launching the Whasington Post, the following is history.

The relationship between the two neighboring Southeast Asian countries has been marked by disagreements since 1907, when Cambodia, the French colony, and the independent Kingdom of Siam (as Thailand until 1939) signed an agreement setting a 800-kilometer boundary between them. The problem is, the agreement map differs from the text, especially, the agreement places Preah Vihear, an 11th-century temple that is very important to both countries, in the French region.

Preah Vihear became a significant debate point. During World War II, Thailand, which is allied with Japan, captured the temple, then handed it over to Cambodia France after the defeat of the Aros Block. In 1954, when the newly independent Cambodia began to form, Thailand took advantage of the moment to reclaim it.

Cambodia brought the dispute to the International Court, and there, Cambodia argued that the 1907 French map proved its sovereignty over the temple. The Court agreed and decided in 1962 that the temple belonged to Cambodia. Thailand accepted the decision and withdrew its troops.

In 2008, tensions resurfaced as Cambodia sought to gain UNESCO's recognition of Preah Vihear as a World Heritage site.

The Thai government under Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej at that time, amid the increasingly heated state of domestic political crisis, initially supported Cambodia's request. The opposition accused the government of betraying Thailand's interests, and the government withdrew.

UNESCO approved Cambodia's request in July 2008. When both sides in the political division of Thailand tried to take advantage of the increasingly strengthened nationalist sentiment, the Thai government deployed troops near the temple (Kamboja said they entered its territory; Thailand said no). Cambodia retaliated with a similar action, resulting in a military buildup along the border.

Fighting broke out in February 2011, each side accused the other of starting the conflict. After eight days and at least 16 casualties, Cambodia and Thailand agreed to a ceasefire, but some parts of the border remain disputed.

This month's border dispute is not directly related to Preah Vihear, but has been fueled by rising nationalism that formed previous conflicts.

A Cambodian soldier was killed in a border battle in May. Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra called Hun Sen, the leader of the Cambodian de facto, to ease tensions.

It actually had the opposite impact. In the phone call recording uploaded online by Hun, the Thai leader seemed to speak respectfully to the Cambodian authoritarian leader, calling him "paman." The footage sparked outrage.

Once again, the Thai government is accused of prioritizing Cambodia's interests over Thailand's interests. On July 1, amid growing calls for Shinawatra to resign, the Thai Constitutional Court suspended the prime minister from his post.

On Wednesday, a landmine on the border injured five Thai soldiers, one leg missing. Thailand withdrew its ambassador to Cambodia, and warplanes immediately began to bomb.