Thai crane topples Cambodian sacred statue on Cambodian ground
This destruction was no accident, and was not done by F-16 fighters. It’s a simple crane toppling the statue – clearly on purpose. Thailand claims the statue was removed “solely for the purpose of area management and security”. Suuure!
I have been claiming that the Thai generals and politicians have been waging this war to stir up patriotic sentiment ahead of the elections in February.
However, this useless destruction of sacred objects must not sit well with the very religious Thai people. There must be some other reason for such sacrilege. There is no strategic goal in toppling a statue. Destroying a holy icon does not conquer more Cambodian territory. The only answer must be that this act sends a message. But what is the message, and to whom is it addressed? That’s what really puzzles me.
For one thing, it is clear that this action is designed to humiliate the Cambodian people. Khmer culture places great pride in its religion. The Vishnu statue is a familiar icon found all over Cambodia. Indeed, of the Brahma-Vishnu-Siva trio, Vishnu is the preserver and protector. Many homes and businesses across Cambodia have images of Vishnu to protect them. The destruction of the statue, along with the incursions deep into Siem Reap Province, may be a signal that Thailand could, if it wanted, destroy any place in Cambodia, even Angkor Wat. It is also highly symbolic that Thailand can destroy Cambodia’s preserver and protector.
Why, then, would Thailand, at this moment in time, choose to humiliate Cambodia?
Well, here’s a hypothesis: China. With China’s recent aggressive foreign policy, it is the elephant in every room these days. In recent years, Chinese influence in Cambodia has grown immensely. Maybe Thailand’s message to Cambodia is “Don’t get too buddy-buddy with China”. The invasion often appears sporadic and random, but it is performative to the extent that China and Cambodia will both understand clearly that Thailand could conquer all of Cambodia if they wanted to.
Thai support of jet fighters and bombers from the US, Korea, and Sweden mocks Cambodia, “Nyah, nyah, nyah! Where is China now? Why don’t you have Chinese fighter jets?” Cambodia is powerless to defend against these planes. Thus, the message to China and Cambodia comes not only from Thailand, but from the three Western nations.
China has remained remarkably silent throughout this invasion, making only the perfunctory ‘maximum restraint’ comments. However, if Thailand really invaded all of Cambodia, China might just step in. Therefore, Thailand is limiting its operations so as to poke the Chinese bear without any real consequences.
The Cambodian people are praying to their savior Donald Trump, but it’s clear Trump will do nothing. All he wants is to attach his name to a peace treaty or news headline, to make him more eligible for the Nobel Peace Prize. In fact, why isn’t he reminding Thailand that American F-16s are not allowed to attack civilians? He is quietly allowing American bombers to (illegally) kill innocent Cambodian civilians, so you might infer that he is taking Thailand’s side in the dispute.
The fact that the US, South Korea, and Sweden are allowing their planes to kill civilians supports the hypothesis that all three are sending Cambodia and China the message not to increase their ties.
The above interpretation leads me to believe that Thailand may eventually decide that the message has been properly sent, and that no more performative hostilities are needed. For this to happen, Cambodia and China could indicate to Thailand that they have received the message. Some symbolic stepdown of Cambodian-Chinese relations might be the solution to the crisis.