A CHEAP POLITICIAN: Abhisit´s reasons behind war against Cambodia

By Pang Sokheoun

Originally posted at: The Son the Khmer Empire

This border war between Cambodia and Thailand has nothing to do with the protecting Thai sovereignty but the political

interests for a group of selfish and nationalism elite persons, especially, the Democrats in Bangkok. This war is motivated because Abhisit hopes :

1. to make himself looks like a strongman and gain popularity from this war against Cambodia.
2. to unite Thai people to continue to support his weak government and win the next election in April as he has already made an appeal to Thai people to unite for the war against Cambodian border recently.
3. that the war will surely avert Thais attention from their daily hardship, social issues and injustice, and the government´s incompetence to deal with the Southern daily violence .
4. that this war will draw media attention from the PAD´s daily protest against him in Bangkok and to reduce its influence.
5. to appease the extremist PAD, Thai Patriot Networks and Asoke Group who are protesting against him in Bangkok to resign from power and to show them that he has the same goal as them particularly the PAD against Cambodia even though he rejects the other three points demanded by PAD.
6. being bullied, Cambodia will have no choice but submitting herself to Thai demand.
7. to justify its invasion and previous mistakes by trying to play as a nice guy through its propaganda to the world again and again that Thailand will never invade its neighbors and just respond and will respond proportionally to the attack.
8. to have the reason to block the next meeting of WHC for Prasat Preah Vihear management plan.
9. to destroy the whole temple if Thailand can not have it or share it with Cambodia and let the WHC to remember this.
10. to take a chance to test Thailand´s inexperienced military forces in the hope that if Thailand can beat the very experienced but poorly equipped-weapon Cambodian soldiers then Thailand will surely have more confidence in dealing conflicts with its other neighbors.
11. to strengthen Thai nationalism ideology and propaganda since 1930s against Cambodia.

And Abhisit doesn´t want to have the third party involved in the resolution is because of:

1. Thailand is being viewed by international communities as the bully, the invader and condemned for its aggression.
2. Thailand again will lose face like it was in 1962.
3. Thailand has no international recognized evidences to back up its claim.
4. Thai leaders will lose a chance to use Cambodia as political scapegoat for their internal political conflicts which can always help ease its internal confrontation against each other.
5. Thailand hopes that it can bargain with Cambodia if this done through bilateral framework no matter how much it gets better than nothing and losing face again.

Let´s see how long this war will go on and if Abhisit really benefits from this war as stated above. And I do hope that Hun Sen has waked up from this border war and stop entertaining this destructive political game toward our country and people.