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On August 3rd, 2025, the Ministry of Defence of Thailand posted on Facebook, highlighting the significant humanitarian role Thailand played under the Khmer Rouge. Friday, August 8, 2025
On
August 3rd, 2025, the Ministry of Defence of Thailand posted on
Facebook, highlighting the significant humanitarian role Thailand played
under the Khmer Rouge. Hundreds of thousands of Cambodians sought
refuge in Thailand, a beacon of hope during the dark times of the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime.
I
can only speak for myself. I am very grateful for Thailand. I am
thankful for much more than the refugee camps. I wish to thank Thailand
for opening its doors to over two million Cambodian migrant workers to
seek work in Thailand over the past 20 years, helping to alleviate
poverty and suffering in Cambodia. Thailand was the land of
opportunities for many Cambodians.
The
war between Thailand and Cambodia is a tragic chapter in our shared
history. We, as neighbors, should strive for unity and understanding,
not conflict.
If
Thailand's beef is with the Phnom Penh regime and not the Cambodian
people, who are mostly poor farmers, then war is the wrong answer.
Regime change at the cost of territorial concession is not politically
palatable for many Cambodians. Cambodians from all political parties are
united against a foreign invasion, not because they support the Phnom
Penh regime, but because they do not want Cambodia to lose more
territory.
If
Thailand wants to play a constructive role in helping Cambodia develop,
then it should help foster civil groups in Cambodia, not drop bombs on
provincial soldiers and defenseless villagers. Thailand should help
Cambodia economically. The sooner Cambodia develops, the easier it is
for Cambodians to contemplate their rights. People cannot function if
their stomach is empty.
While
I do offer my gratitude to Thailand, I also want to remind the people
of Thailand about inconvenient truths that Thailand cannot ignore.
Thailand wittingly let China use its territory to funnel arms to the Pol
Pot regime (the Khmer Rouge). Smuggling weapons to Pol Pot was a covert
operation by the Thai military. China created the Khmer Rouge. The
Khmer Rouge brutally killed millions of innocent Cambodians. While the
Khmer Rouge is guilty of manslaughter, Thailand is, to some extent,
guilty by association.
Many
Thai military officers became millionaires from trading with the Khmer
Rouge. Thailand purchased Cambodia's natural resources at a fraction of
their value, including gemstones from Pailin and lumber in western
Cambodian territories. The relationship between Thailand and the Khmer
Rouge regime was so close that the Khmer Rouge officers had bank
accounts and homes in Thailand.
History
is a complex tapestry, woven with inconvenient truths and complicated
realities. To truly understand the context of today's conflict between
Thailand and Cambodia, we must be willing to dig deeper and explore the
nuances of our shared past.
What
forced ethnic Tai people to migrate to Southeast Asia in the early
1000s CE? Chinese Han expansionism and ethnic cleansing. China was an
expansionist empire that forced many ethnic Tai people to flee from
their native land in southern China into Southeast Asia or face certain
death. Han people were originally from the central plain of northern
China. They slowly expanded southward, pushing all the ethnic minorities
south of China into Southeast Asia.
Thai
people sought refuge under the Khmer Empire for hundreds of years
because of Chinese expansionism before founding their first kingdom,
Sukhothai, in 1238. From Sukhothai to Ayutthaya, Thailand annexed all of
Cambodia's western territories during the fall of Angkor in 1431.
Should
the Ministry of Defence of Cambodia issue a letter demanding that
Thailand show gratitude for saving them from Han expansionism, or for
Thailand annexing 33 provinces from the Angkorian legacy? Perhaps not.
I
have no animosity because of what kingdoms typically did during ancient
times. Kings wage war. Kings expand their empire. Kings are not
accountable to their people. Kings are above the law. We shouldn't hate
each other today because of what our ancestors did in the past. We
shouldn't wage war for territorial expansion in modern times because we
are not under kings anymore.
Despite
all of this, I still would like all of Thailand to know that I am
deeply grateful for Thailand's humanitarian role in assisting Cambodia
during its most difficult times.
I
hope that Thailand and Cambodia can normalize relations as soon as
possible. I hope Thailand's leaders can dial down the tone and rhetoric
that can discriminate against ordinary Cambodians. Some people in
Thailand are attacking innocent Khmer migrant workers in broad daylight.
Khmer people are human beings as well, and we too aspire for a better
life just like the good people of Thailand.
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