Thai ‘language’ claims regarding Ghost Mountain and their invasion of Cambodia are flawed
Thai claims of the use of ‘language that promotes solutions through dialogue’ appear empty, says this guest writer. Supplied
#opinion
The Thailand-Cambodia Situation Information Centre states that “Thailand supports the use of language that . . . promotes solutions through dialogue”.
I think the centre should revisit its understanding of this phrase. I have some suggestions on how this could be done. As one idea, it could visit the Cambodian villages now occupied by Thai military forces and promote these “dialogue-centered solutions” among their armed comrades and inquire where they stand on this matter. While they do this, they should also speak with the local Cambodian business owners and offer advice to them on how to better support peace through dialogue while their businesses remained closed behind Thai-laid concertina wire.
They may also engage Cambodian children and encourage them on how dialogue-centered solutions are available to them while they process the disruption and trauma to their lives while Thai soldiers patrol their communities. They may also engage in dialogue with the Cambodian people who remain displaced in austere conditions.
And finally, they might also engage in dialogue with the Cambodian soldiers who are dug-in, attempting to defend Cambodia from further encroachment by the Thai military that has already invaded and occupied many parts of Cambodia.
Perhaps in engaging in these conversations, the staff at this centre may also come to understand this insight, which is, while dialogue is always important in the promotion of long-term peace, if you are requesting peace at gunpoint, you are not really legitimately seeking peace, but the other party’s surrender and Cambodia will never surrender the areas that the Thai military has invaded and illegally occupies.
Youk Chhang is director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam). The views and opinions expressed are his own.
-The Phnom Penh Post-
