Thailand is six times more populous than Cambodia. Its army is more modernized and the threat of a border conflict escalating into a war has spurred the Cambodian government to seek diplomatic assistance from the UN to deflate the tension between the two neighboring countries in the face of the most recent talks breaking down over the dispostion of the Preah Vihear temple. .
"In the face of this imminent state of war, this very serious threat to our independence and territorial integrity, we have an obligation to resort to the United Nations Security Council," said Foreign Minister Hor Namhong of Cambodia. "Thai troops with artillery and tanks are building up along the border, constituting a very serious threat not only to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Cambodia, but also to peace and stability in the region."
The initial dispute over the boundaries has been exasperated by politicians from both countries seeking to more points with voters for the upcoming Cambodian election and the festering political in-fighting between Thailand's government and opposition, the latter accusing the ruling party of selling out Thai sovereignty by submitting to the World Court's ruling that the temple site belongs to Cambodia according to a 1962 agreement.
No one wants to be seen backing down.
Not the Thais. Not the Cambodians.
This might end up being the first war fought over Buddha, as both countries claim the cliffside ruins as part of the national heritage, although the builders were Hindu dating back to 900AD. Neither Thailand nor Cambodia existed back then, but that faqct won't prevent concerned parties from re-writing history to suit their purposes.
Hopefully someone will have jai yen before this situation gets out of hand.
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