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Thai-Cambodian rift hurts both
sides
By Chayanit Poonyarat
BANGKOK - More than a month after the anti-Thai
riots in Cambodia, the two neighboring countries are
finding their attempts at fence-mending an uphill
battle, made even more difficult by the still-bitter
exchanges between the two sides in recent days.
Last week, Cambodia ordered its border with
Thailand closed, in response to Thailand's barring of
its nationals to cross what used to be a bustling border
area.
Cambodia says it has done enough to show
goodwill to Thailand. Thailand says it has in fact used
restraint but needs to see concrete expressions of
regret after the January 29 violence in Phnom Penh -
including compensation for damages incurred during the
riots.
Highlighting the still-sensitive feelings
today, Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said he
thought Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen "understood the
feelings of the Thai people" after the riots. "You have
to be cool, my friend. You must start to act and make a
concrete move regarding payment" of compensation,
Thaksin said.
He was reacting to Hun Sen's
remarks on Thursday that Thais letting Cambodians across
the border to buy goods but not allowing Thais to do the
same on the Cambodian side "makes it seem as if Khmer
are beggars". He added: "Our nation needs dignity. As a
sovereign state, we can't kneel to anyone."
Cambodians are now allowed day passes to cross
the border to buy essential goods. But Thais are not
allowed to go over to Cambodia - where there are also
casinos patronized by Thai clients that bring in 300
million to 500 million baht a week (US$7 million to $12
million) - due to what officials say are safety
concerns.
This is but the latest sign that
repairing ties will not occur instantly, and Thai
experts say, without more introspection into the deeper
roots of the problem between the two countries and the
January riots.
"When it comes to international
relations, it is not only economic dimension but also
social and cultural diplomacy. Most of all, magnanimity
should always [be] there in mind - that the counterparts
must be treat fairly and equally," said former Thai
ambassador to United Nations Asda Jayanama.
After the riots, Thailand halted flights and
downgraded its embassy. Technical and economic
cooperation was suspended, and a crackdown started on
undocumented workers from Cambodia.
Today, Thai
flights to Cambodia are back but the wound to bilateral
ties remains, despite the economic impact that the two
countries - both investors and ordinary people - are
experiencing.
At the border, many continue to
wait for its opening to get back to selling goods there.
There is also talk now of Cambodian plans to prevent
Thai fishing trawlers from entering its waters. Thai
fisheries association chairman Thitikorn Lohakup said
the crackdown on undocumented Cambodian workers would
hurt the fisheries industry, which relies heavily on the
cheap labor they provide. A short labor supply would
pose a greater threat to Thai rather than Cambodian
interests, he said.
The border closure has also
slowed things down for Thai investors in Cambodia.
A procedure is under way for Thai businesses
that got looted or damaged during the riots to claim
compensation, but only little progress has been made.
Initial evaluations of the loss of Thai businesses in
Phnom Penh amount to 2.2 billion baht ($51 million). A
Thai team was in Phnom Penh late last month for a sixth
round of discussions.
"Though it is legitimate
for Thailand to demand compensation for damages to its
embassy and businesses, this should not be too much
prioritized that we forget anything else that must be
done," said Prapat Thepchatree of the Center for
International Policy Studies at Thammasat University.
He said that concentrating only on economic
means of addressing ties after the riots, such as
demanding compensation, would increase feelings of
exploitation by the Cambodian people and push ties down
a dead end. He suggested that the two governments
examine what was wrong in their relations before that
allowed the explosion of riots, triggered by unverified
reports that a Thai actress had said Cambodia's famous
Angkor Wat temple was Thailand's.
Opinion polls
show that emotions are still running high in the wake of
the January riots.
A recent poll by the
Assumption Business Administration College showed that
92.1 percent of respondents said Thaksin's handling of
the anti-Thai riots was his best achievement. In another
survey, 28.6 percent said the government should no
longer allow the hiring of Cambodian workers.
But one Thai businessman said the chilly ties
are affecting the country's own interests too,
especially after Thailand sealed the border. Official
figures show that the trade volume at the border was
nearly 40 million baht per day before the closure, and
makes up 82 percent of total Thai-Cambodia trade.
"Damage to my business started only when
Thailand ordered its border sealed," said Thai
businessman Somsak Witsaruttawong, who has run a
consumer-goods import business in Phnom Penh for 14
years.
Somsak said his business was barely
affected by the January violence, but now Cambodia is
sourcing not only from Thailand but also countries such
as Vietnam and China. "It is we Thai businessmen now who
are in trouble with loss of our market shares," he said.
In a way, Thailand is caught between political
and economic priorities - mending ties in a way it is
comfortable with, but mindful that the longer it stays
away from Cambodia, there might be a decline in business
and in market share there.
Almost all Thai
investors and proprietors whose businesses were damaged
would like to return to Cambodia and start afresh,
including those who want to see compensation, says Kavi
Chongkittavorn of the English-language newspaper The
Nation. But negative feelings from across the border
will linger much longer if the Thai government continues
its heavy focus on compensation, says Kavi.
Somsak said Thailand should instead work on
correcting misunderstandings with Cambodia. To this day,
he said, many Cambodians still believe that the rumors
about the Thai actress's remark and destruction of the
Cambodian Embassy in Bangkok - which appeared to have
fueled the riots - are true.
(Inter Press
Service)
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