Thai-Cambodia battle rages over temple

There is a fresh round of hostilities between Thailand and Cambodia – both members of the Association of South-East Nations (ASEAN) – along the border. There was artillery firing from both sides.

Thailand has said that there was no need as yet for mediation, that the problem should be resolved through bilateral talks. Cambodian President Hun Manet had said that Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had spoken to leaders of the two countries, that Thailand had agreed to end the fighting but went back on its word. Malaysia is the rotating president of the ASEAN at the moment. Meanwhile, Cambodia had gone to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and called Thailand the aggressor.

The border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia is traced backed to a century. Whatever the differences among themselves, it is quite rare that members of the ASEAN had gone to war with each other. ASEAN has been seen as a close-knit group with its focus on economic cooperation.

But the border conflict between the two countries predates ASEAN. It has been simmering beneath the surface but it has rarely spilled over into the open. The national-ethnic identities of the members of ASEAN are indeed marked out, but it did not ever come in the way of friendly relations among the members. This in contrast to the adversarial ethnic divisions among the nation-states of the European Union (EU), especially in hotspots like Kosovo-Serbia in south-east Europe. Internal turbulence has been a common feature among the ASEAN members, whether it is Malaysia or Thailand, and even Vietnam and Cambodia. But border clashes have not been the order of the day in this part of Asia. South Asia and West Asia have been reckoning with border disputes for decades.

The Thai economy is likely to be affected by the war with Cambodia. The Thai currency, the baht, has improved vis-a-vis the US dollar, and foreign funds have started flowing into the Thai bourses brisker than before. This is based on the expectation that Thailand would soon be able to reach an amicable trade deal with the United States to avoid the punitive tariff rate of 36 per cent by August 1.

Two other Asean countries, Indonesia and the Philippines, have clinched a much less harmful trade deal with Washington. Thailand is also comforted by the fact that China and the US – two of its major trade partners – are likely to reach a trade deal, and that eases pressure on Bangkok. The central bank in Thailand does not want the baht to become too strong because it would then affect its exports, and also the tourist inflows.

Thailand has been the tourist hub of the region for a very long time. The internal tourist spots along the Cambodian border have been put on alert, and residents asked to move to the bomb shelters. If the war continues for a longer time, the economy is sure to feel the impact.

The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts of Cambodia has issued an international appeal to protect the Preah Vihear Temple from Thai aggression. Minister of Culture and Fine Arts Phoeurng Sackona briefed representatives from Indian and Chinese embassies – who are co-chairs of the International Coordinating Committee for the Conservation and Enhancement of the Preah Vihear (PV-ICC) and the head of the UNESCO office in Phnom Penh – that Thai F-16 jets caused “serious and visible” damage to several key sections of the Preah Vihear Temple .

“The Preah Vihear Temple is not just a national treasure –it is a monument of universal value, protected under international law.” The International Court of Justice at The Hague had issued a verdict in 1954 saying that the temple belonged to Cambodia. The temple is at heart of the border dispute between the two countries.