Propaganda war between Thailand and Cambodia
Tensions show no signs of abating 10 days after fighting resumed over the disputed border. For Cambodia, displaced people are the most serious emergency since the Khmer Rouge era. While Thailand calls on Cambodia to act "sincerely" to mine clearance, the latter accuses Thailand’s air force of dropping cluster bombs. Thailand's Tourism Ministry reports no cancellations by travellers going to Phuket.
Milan (AsiaNews) – The border war between Thailand and Cambodia, which began on 7 December, shows no signs of abating amid mutual accusations and unrealistic claims of a ceasefire by US President Donald Trump and diplomatic efforts by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the current ASEAN president.
On the sidelines of the fighting, both Thailand and Cambodia are also pursuing a propaganda war. This is evident from the official death tolls from ten days of clashes. Officially, only 30 casualties have been reported, a figure that should be treated with great caution.
On the Thai side, after the first civilian casualty was announced yesterday, the total figure now stands at 16. Cambodia is reporting instead 15 civilians killed, but no military losses, which is unlikely since the Royal Thai Air Force has carried out operations deep into Cambodian territory.
What is plain to see on both sides of the border are the hundreds of thousands of displaced people driven from their homes by the latest outbreak of violence.
Cambodian authorities have reported 423,000 people housed in emergency shelters in the provinces of Preah Vihear, Oddar Meanchey, Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Pursat, Koh Kong, and Siem Reap, in what the Cambodian government calls the "worst refugee crisis since the Khmer Rouge."
Amid the general mobilisation, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and his wife Pich Chanmony launched an appeal to Cambodian scout guides to plant vegetables across the country to feed the evacuees.
Conversely, "As the aggressor onto Thai territory, Cambodia must announce the ceasefire first," said Thai foreign ministry spokeswoman Maratee Nalita Andamo, urging Cambodia to cooperate "sincerely" in demining operations along the border.
In Cambodia, the narrative is different, with local media blaming Thailand for the aggression, highlighting the gap between Bangkok's powerful military and that of "small" Cambodia.
In Phnom Penh, Hun Manet's government also reacted to Thailand’s claim that it had planted new anti-personnel mines along the disputed border, by sending a complaint against Thailand to the Laotian Foreign Minister, who currently chairs the Convention against the Use of Cluster Munitions adopted in 2008 in Dublin, Ireland.
Thai media, for their part, have published reports of the alleged presence of Russian mercenaries among Cambodian troops. The Russian embassies in Phnom Penh and Bangkok were quick to deny this, claiming that Russia maintains "friendly relations" with both countries and supports a peaceful resolution to the border dispute.
In general, while Cambodia's narrative is one of emergency, the government of Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who is campaigning for early elections on 8 February, is trying to project the image of a country moving forward with normality, despite the border conflict.
In today's edition, the Bangkok Post reported data from the Department of Foreign Trade saying that, “Despite the closure of border crossings with Cambodia since July, the value of Thai exports in the first 10 months of this year grew by 13% year-on-year”.
For its part, the Ministry of Tourism also noted that, “There were no cancellations by travellers planning to visit major tourist destinations such as Phuket, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Krabi and Chon Buri provinces,” the paper wrote.
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