2003 Phnom Penh riots

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Operation Pochentong 1
ប្រតិបត្តិការពោធិ៍ចិនតុង ១
ปฏิบัติการโปเชนตง 1
Date29-30 January 2003
Location
Phnom Penh International Airport
Result Thai citizens safely left Cambodia
Belligerents
 Thailand
Cambodia Cambodian government		 Cambodian rioters
Commanders and leaders

Thailand Thaksin Shinawatra
Surayud Chulanont
Somtat Attanand
Kongsak Wattana
Taweesak Somapha

Cambodia Tea Banh		 n/a
Strength

110

Alenia G.222

600 Cambodian officers

backup unit:

1
frigates
 ~1300 rioters
Part of a series on the
History of Cambodia
Angkor Wat
Early history
Post-Angkor Period
Colonial period
Independence and conflict
Peace process
Modern Cambodia
By topic
flag Cambodia portal

In January 2003, a Cambodian newspaper article falsely alleged that Thai actress

nationalistic sentiments, which resulted in riots in Phnom Penh on 29 January where the Thai embassy was burned and commercial properties of Thai businesses were vandalized. The riots reflect the fluid historical relationship between Thailand and Cambodia
, as well as the economic, cultural and political factors involving the two countries.

Background

Historical

Historically, the relationship between

Angkor itself was besieged and sacked, plunging Cambodia into Post-Angkor period
.

The ensuing centuries saw numerous further incursions by the Siamese. For much of the 19th century, northern Cambodia, including Angkor, was ruled by Siam. The degree of independence enjoyed by Cambodia fluctuated according to the relative fortunes of Siam, Cambodia, Vietnam and the French colonists.

In 1907, Siam ceded northern Cambodia to France. In the 1930s, this loss became the basis of the

a war with Vichy France
, Thailand briefly regained the territories ceded to France in 1907. This claim was not abandoned until the 1950s.

Economic

Thailand's rapid economic progress during the 1980s and 1990s made its economy one of the strongest in Southeast Asia. Conversely, the Cambodian Civil War, the Khmer Rouge government and the subsequent government of the People's Republic of Kampuchea, which failed to secure United Nations recognition, kept Cambodia economically weak. As a result, Thai businesses dominate part of the Cambodian economy, fuelling resentment.

Cultural

Compared to Cambodia, Thailand has a far greater population and is more open to western influences. These factors have given Thailand a substantial cultural influence on Cambodian music and television. This is coupled with a perception on the part of many Cambodians that Thais are arrogant and racist towards their neighbors.

There has been a long history of dispute and misunderstanding between the

Khmer empire, while the Thais have remained dominant in the region.[1]

There have also been different interpretations in the history of the two countries and the era of the

Khmer empire. "This lack of understanding is reflected in the thinking of a considerable number of educated Thais and member of the ruling class, who distinguish between the Khom and the Khmer, considering them to be two separate ethnic group".[1] They further go on to assert that "it was the Khom, not the Khmer, who built the majestic temple complexes at Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom and founded one of the world's truly magnificent ancient empires".[1]

The Khmer resentment towards this attitude of Thai-centric view of historical accounts—true or not, was not newly founded in 2003. Despite the world consensus that the culture and the empire that rule the region originated from the Khmer; the fact that there are Thais that claim otherwise could be seen as an insult by some Khmer. In the 19th century the Khmer kingdom narrowly escaped being swallowed by two stronger neighbors, Thailand on the west and Vietnam on the east.[2] This created a fear in many Khmer that the neighboring country was out to conquer and erase Khmer identity.

Cause of the riots

The riots were prompted by a 18 January article in the Cambodian newspaper Rasmei Angkor (Light of Angkor). The article alleged that Thai actress

Suvanant Kongying said Cambodia had "stolen" Angkor Wat, and that she would not appear in Cambodia until it was returned to Thailand. The newspaper's editor gave the source for the story as a group of Khmer nationalists who said they had seen the actress on television. No evidence to support the newspaper's claim has ever emerged, and it seems that the report was either fabricated or arose from a misunderstanding of what Suvanant's character had said.[citation needed] It has also been suggested that the report was an attempt by a rival firm to discredit the actress, who was also the "face" of a cosmetics company.[citation needed
]

The report was picked up by Khmer radio and print media, and copies of the Rasmei Angkor article were distributed in schools. On 27 January, Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen repeated the allegations, and said that Suvanant was "not worth a few blades of grass near the temple". On 28 January, the Cambodian government then banned all Thai television programs in the country.

Strong nationalistic sentiments were also present during the build up to the riot. "Nationalism has over the years been exploited by the two countries' political leaders to fulfil [sic] a myriad of their own political interests".[3] Some[who?] have argued that the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) had a political incentive to orchestrate the riots. After the arrest of Mam Sonando, "Phnom Penh's then Governor Chea Sophara, an increasingly popular CPP politician (who had been tipped by some to challenge Hun Sen as a PM candidate) was sacked".[4] Coincidental or not the events that followed the 2003 riot, was beneficial to the Prime Minister of Cambodia. [citation needed]

The riots

On 29 January, rioters attacked the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh, destroying the building. Mobs also attacked the premises of Thai-owned businesses, including

King of Thailand Bhumibol Adulyadej enraged many Thai people
.

The Thai government sent military aircraft to Cambodia to evacuate Thai nationals, while Thais demonstrated outside the Cambodian embassy in Bangkok.

Responsibility for the riots was disputed: Hun Sen attributed the government’s failure to prevent the attacks to "incompetence", and said that the riots were stirred up by "extremists". The chairman of the National Assembly,

Prince Norodom Ranariddh claimed that opposition leader Sam Rainsy
had directed the attacks. Rainsy said that he had attempted to prevent the violence.

Some, including the Thai ambassador to Cambodia at the time, argue that the 29 January 2003 riot was orchestrated. Cambodians and Thais alike, in online discussions, asserted that "Hun Sen and elements of the CPP were behind the demonstration".[5] The Cambodian prime minister made a speech, just two days prior to the riot, which further reinforced the allegation that was made about the Thai actress's comment. Also "despite desperate calls from the frantic Thai ambassador to the Cambodian Foreign Minister, police and Defence Ministry, Cambodian official and police did little to discourage the crowd".[5] The Thai embassy was within very close proximity to the Ministry of Interior and the headquarters of the CPP.

Aftermath

The Thai government closed the country's border with Cambodia following the riots, but only to Thai and Cambodian nationals. The border was re-opened on 21 March 2003, following the Cambodian government's payment of US$6 million compensation for the destruction of the Thai embassy. In a 2006 rally against Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, several influential Thai diplomats, including former ambassador to the UN Asda Jayanama and former ambassador to Vietnam Supapong Jayanama, alleged that only half of the compensation was actually paid. The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denied this accusation.[6] The Cambodian government also agreed to compensate individual Thai businesses for the losses which they had suffered, to be negotiated separately.

Shortly after the riots, a wave of arrests which totalled more than 150 persons was criticized by human rights groups, highlighting irregularities in the procedures and denial by the authorities to monitor their detention conditions.[7] The owner of Beehive Radio, Mam Sonando, and Chan Sivutha, Editor-in-Chief of Reaksmei Angkor, were both arrested without warrants, charged with incitement to commit a crime, incitement to discrimination and announcement of false information. They were later on released on bail[8] and no trial was ever held.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Kasetsiri, Charnvit (2003). "Thailand-Cambodia: A Love-Hate Relationship". Kyoto Review of Southeast Asia. 1 (3). Archived from the original on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
  2. JSTOR 2643687
    .
  3. ^ Chachavalpongpun, Pavin (2010). "Glorifying the Inglorious Past: Historical Overhangs in Thai-Cambodian Relations". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. doi:10.18452/17000
    .
  5. ^
    S2CID 162779371
    .
  6. ^ "Sondhi plays PAD mediator". Bangkok Post. 30 March 2006. Archived from the original on 20 April 2006. Retrieved 18 April 2006.
  7. ^ "Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights". Archived from the original on 24 June 2007. Retrieved 9 February 2007.
  8. ^ Human Rights Watch

External links

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