Cambodian Commentary: Thailand Intensifies the Scale of War

26 April 2011 --Reaksmei Kampuchea in Cambodian language
by Seiha
English version by LyKC

The Thai military circle and the Abhisit government have clearly shown the intent to intensify war with Cambodia ahead of the elections in Thailand in order to attract the votes of Thai extremists.

The parade of tanks to the border last Sunday and the digging of trenches along the border opposite Banteay Meanchey province are new signs indicating the preparations to intensify the war with Cambodia. What is clearer than this, however, is the use of the attack by aircraft on the afternoon of 25 April in the area west of Cambodia's Kamprea mountain.

Compared to the attack on 22 April, we saw that on 23 April more Thai artillery shells were fired, and on 24 April, even more shells were fired. The range of the firing into Cambodian territory gradually increases. The types of banned weapons used by Thailand against Cambodia are getting more serious, from cluster munitions to shells exploding in mid-air, and also shells with toxic gas.

Thailand used reconnaissance aircraft, male and female spies. The latest evolution is attack with aircraft.

The intensification of the war means that Thailand needs a quick "victory", or at least produces noise to "placate" Thai extremists to get supporting votes. According to the plan drawn up by the Abhisit government, in the first week of May, there is a possibility of the Thai parliament dissolution, and then at the end of June or early July, the possibility of general election.

This question has been asked: Who among the Thais does not need battlefield "victory" against Cambodia? The answer is none! All Thais need such a "victory" because the "pan-Thai" doctrine has been inculcated in their hearts since childhood. It is just a question of when this will erupt and how it will erupt. Thailand needs no less than one generation of people in this globalization era to obliterate such arrogance and boasting.

Thailand's current intensification of the war has not yet reached the peak, even though Thai media have already talked about "full war". Right now, however, it has not yet reached a full war.

Thailand is using a method of card game players according to which "the one with a lot of money will win." In this sense, Thailand has to keep increasing the level until Cambodia -- whom Thailand understood "to have less money" -- could not match and thus return to bilateral negotiations.

ASEAN diplomats in Phnom Penh have said that Thailand's prestige has been lost because of oversight and pretension and indifference for the role of the international community. The Thai military circle and the Abhisit government have gambled Thailand's prestige. Thailand's past three-four-day war intensification not only could not make the negotiation return to bilateral but even further affirms that the role of a third party in resolving the Cambodian-Thai conflict is necessary and unavoidable.

For Cambodia, preparing for a "protracted war intensification" used by card game players with a lot of money requires the highest level of thrift starting from now, in accordance with the slogan "national defense for all and all for national defense."