Cambodia to mend ties<\/p>\n
with Thailand after riots<\/p>\n
Lawrence Bartlett
\nAgence France-Presse
\nPhnom Penh<\/p>\n
A shaken Cambodian government faces the tricky task this week of
\nrepairing damage to its reputation and regional relations after
\nbeing widely accused of responsibility for devastating anti-Thai
\nriots.<\/p>\n
Foreign Minister Hor Namhong flies to Bangkok on Tuesday to
\nconfront a furious Thai government, which says it came close to
\nsending in commandos to protect its embassy here when it was
\nunder attack by Cambodian mobs last Wednesday.<\/p>\n
He is likely to be grilled over how the riots started and why
\nthe authorities failed to contain them before the embassy and
\nThai-owned businesses worth millions of dollars were burnt to the
\nground.<\/p>\n
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has made clear he is in no
\nmood to be fobbed off with claims of spontaneous popular anger
\nover false rumors that a Thai actress said Cambodia stole the
\nworld-famous Angkor Wat temples from Thailand.<\/p>\n
Instead he has suggested the mobs were deliberately whipped up
\nfor political reasons ahead of July elections.<\/p>\n
"The incident was caused by competition between political
\nparties in Cambodia, who took advantage of a nonsensical story to
\nfan out nationalist sentiment for political gain," he said.<\/p>\n
Although Thaksin did not point directly at his counterpart,
\nCambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, others have.<\/p>\n
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy said the violence had been
\norchestrated by the government.<\/p>\n
"Prime Minister Hun Sen stirred up anti-Thai feelings in order
\nto divert attention from increasingly serious internal problems
\nhe cannot solve," Rainsy said in a statement.<\/p>\n
He accused the prime minister of making an inflammatory speech
\non national radio on Jan. 27, "which was an incitement to racism,
\nhatred and violence".<\/p>\n
Hun Sen remarked that Thai soap-opera star Suvanant Kongying
\nwas not worth "a few blades of grass near Angkor Wat", lending
\ncredence to the allegations in local media that she had insulted
\nCambodia.<\/p>\n
Exploiting Cambodian nationalism is a typical political ploy,
\nand Thailand was an easy target given resentment of its growing
\ncultural and economic influence here.<\/p>\n
Its cultural clout was epitomized by the local popularity of
\nthe television performances of the stylish and beautiful Suvanant
\nKongying, while major Thai firms have huge stakes in Cambodia.<\/p>\n
In sectors such as agribusiness, banking, insurance and
\ntelecommunications, they control nearly half the market.<\/p>\n
In contrast, Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in Asia,
\nbest known for the horrors of the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime in
\nthe 1970s, living largely off handouts from the international
\ndonor community.<\/p>\n
It cannot survive being cut off from its more powerful
\nneighbor, while economics dictate that Thailand agrees to mend
\nfences.<\/p>\n
The Cambodian government has apologized and promised
\ncompensation, partly mollifying Thailand.<\/p>\n
"In the long term, if the government of Cambodia moves fast
\nand sincere in this manner, I think it will be fine," Thaksin
\nsaid.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/b-cambodia-to-mend-ties-1447899208",
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