Read any article about the Cambodia-Thai border fighting. They all say that it’s about the small, disputed territory around some ruined temples. Other than the temples, there is nothing to distinguish this remote, forested region. However, the narrative is that Thailand wants that land, so they invaded, but the valiant Khmers have resisted resolutely.
Preserving ancient temples doesn’t seem to be a priority, either, as Thailand has shelled the world-famous temple of Preah Vihear.
What doesn’t add up is that the fighting is going on all along the 800-kilometer border between the two countries. There appears to be no strategy, or no actual targets, as each side fires missiles and drops bombs into random, unimportant areas, unrelated to the territorial dispute.
I read that Thailand attacked Thmar Da, in Veal Veng District of Pursat Province, some hundreds of kilometers from the disputed zone. I have been to Thmar Da, one of the most god-forsaken jungle areas in Cambodia. There is no ‘there’ there, hence no earthly reason for Thai forces to attack.
These random attacks suggest that this is more than just a small territorial dispute. In fact, maybe the territorial dispute is just a smokescreen for something deeper.
Cambodia has launched similar rocket and missile attacks on seemingly meaningless sites in Thailand, far from the disputed zone. What is going on here?
Cambodia, too, is playing this random shelling game. Is Hun Sen also just trying to play tough and send a message? I see no reason for him to do so. In fact, random shelling along the border gives the lie to the narrative that Cambodia is just defending its disputed territory.
An article in today’s (Sunday) Bangkok Post says that the Pheu Thai Party is claiming that the root cause is Cambodia’s huge cyberscam/slavery industry, amounting to BILLIONS of dollars per year, and supported by high-ranking government officials, who are paid handsomely by Chinese criminals to turn a blind eye. Nationals from many countries are promised good jobs in casinos and fly into Thailand. From there they are kidnapped into slavery, brought to one of at least 53 large centers in Cambodia, and forced to run romance or business scams on customers, on threat of torture, electric shocks, beatings, etc.
Even the New York Times headline reads:
The Online Scam Industry is Thriving. Cambodia Plays a Key Role.
The UN estimates that there are some 100,000 cyber-slaves in Cambodia, with an annual revenue of some 40 billion dollars. (Cambodia’s entire GDP is 51 billion.) That ain’t chicken feed.
Recently, Thailand has complained about this practice, and has in fact intervened to disrupt the cyberscams. They once cut off the wi-fi to Poipet, a large center for the cyberscams.
A Thai spokesman for the Bangkok Post, Mr. Danuporn said.
“[This war] is about the fallout from cybercrime suppression. Key figures in Cambodia are being affected, and there is growing evidence to support this.”
He cited the Thai arrest warrant issued for Kok An, an alleged Cambodian scam-backer and casino owner who was reportedly close to Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen. Authorities have also frozen significant assets and are working with Interpol to pursue international legal action against those involved.
The above interpretation makes some sense to me. The cyberscam industry is so huge, and there are so many high officials involved, both sides may be randomly flexing their muscles and sending messages. There are large sums of money being gained by important people. The cyberscam industry certainly dwarfs the importance of a couple of ruined temples in the jungle.
In all scenarios, Thailand attacked first. The positive spin is that both countries may be just blustering, while neither one wants a full-scale war.