Stones, Flags and Guns

Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand. Bangkok. February 22, 2012.

The main focus of these talks by two notable and highly respected academics, Thongchai Winichakul and Chris Baker, was the border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia, which has been heating up recently with skirmishes between the armies of the two countries, resulting in the loss of several lives on both sides and the destruction of border villages in Thailand. The historical context of the continuing border disputes between Thailand and its neighbors, was explained by Ajarn Thongchai, while the domestic political influences of Thai and Cambodian politics was commented upon by Ajarn Baker. The main lesson that I took away from the evening, is that no final and compressive settlement is possible which will demark the border, and that conflict management is the order of the day.