Phnom Penh, Cambodia (AP) – Thousands of people gathered in Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital, on Wednesday to march to solidarity with the government and the military, as tensions on the Border Tour that broke out last month have soared amid tensions with neighboring countries.
This is the latest dispute between two Southeast Asian neighbors.
What is the latest conflict?
The dispute sparked in May after the Thai Armed Forces and Cambodia’s armed forces launched each other in a relatively small “unmanned land”, both countries claiming to be their own borders.
Both sides say they are in self-defense. A Cambodian soldier was killed.
Although the countries subsequently stated that they agreed to the downgrade situation, Cambodia and Thai authorities continued to implement or threaten measures without armed forces between each other to maintain high tensions.
Thailand has added restrictions on borders, such as limiting travel time and banning Thai casino tourists and workers from traveling through Cambodia.
Cambodia bans Thai movies and TV shows, stopped importing Thai fruits and vegetables, and boycotted neighbors’ international internet links and power supplies.
How long did the two fight on the land?
Border disputes are long-standing problems that have caused periodic tensions between two neighbors. Thailand and Cambodia share more than 800 kilometers (500 miles) of land boundary.
This competitive claim stems mainly from a map of 1907 drawn under French colonial rule, which was used to separate Cambodia from Thailand.
Cambodia has always used maps as a reference for claiming territory, while Thailand believes that the map is inaccurate.
In February, the Cambodian army and their families entered an ancient temple along the border of a disputed area and sang the Cambodian national anthem, leading to a brief debate with the Thai troops.
The most prominent and violent conflict broke out around the 1,000-year-old Preah Vihear Temple.
In 1962, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) granted sovereignty to the region to Cambodia, which became the main stimulus in the relationship.
Cambodia returned to court in 2011 after several clashes between its military and Thai forces, killing about 20 people and displaced. The court reiterated the ruling in 2013, which still shocked Thailand.
What will happen next?
Similar to the Phear Vihear region, Cambodia is seeking ICJ ruling again in several controversial areas, including a deadly conflict.
Thailand said it does not accept the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice and that any conflicting border requirements between the two should be resolved by existing bilateral mechanisms, including the Joint Committee established in 2000 as a technical means to discuss land border investigations and demarcations.
However, Cambodia said it had submitted the case to the International Court of Justice and insisted that it would no longer discuss these areas under the bilateral mechanisms of the two countries.
Tensions surged as they participated in a verbal war of nationalist critics aimed at both sides of the border.
A quarrel neighbor
The bad feeling between the two neighbors is not only about overlapping border claims, but also a deep cultural hatred, which was the source of centuries ago when they were a huge competing empire.
In a more modern era, Cambodia’s development was hampered by French colonialism, and in the 1970s the brutal rule of the Communist Khmer lags behind Thailand.
Both struggle with claims of cultural products such as boxing, mask dancing, traditional clothing and food.
– Jintamas Saksornchai reported from Bangkok
