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2003 Phnom Penh riots

2003 anti-Thai riots in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

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Background

Historical

Historically, the relationship between Siam (modern Thailand) and Cambodia has been extremely fluid, reflecting the region's division into city states rather than nation states. These city states were bound together into empires by more or less strong political, military and tributary ties. In the 14th century, the centre of Thai power passed from Sukhothai to the more southerly Ayutthaya, in territory which had formed part of the Khmer empire. The threat posed by Ayutthaya to Angkor increased as its power grew, and in the 15th century 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 nationalist government's claim that the area was a "lost territory" which rightfully belonged to Thailand. In 1941, following a war with Vichy France, Thailand briefly regained the territories ceded to France in 1907. These territories were returned after the Second World War, as France had threatened to veto Thailand’s UN membership.

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. While largely untrue, this perception and the former factors led to a very high sense of nationalism throughout the country.

There has been a long history of dispute and misunderstanding between the Khmer and Thais. Historical and cultural conflicts and claims from both sides led to a great deal of resentment; this, despite the fact that Thailand's and Cambodia's cultures are extremely similar. The reason behind Khmer resentment for the Thais stems from the feeling of decline since the days of the Khmer empire, while the Thais have remained dominant in the region.

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 number of educated Thais and members of the ruling class, who distinguish between the Khom and the Khmer, considering them to be two separate ethnic groups". 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".

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 used to rule the region originated from the Khmer; the fact that there may be 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. This created a fear in many Khmers that their neighboring countries were out to conquer and erase Khmer identity. This resulted in widespread anti-Thai and anti-Vietnamese sentiment, and a deep reverence of cultural and historical symbols like Angkor Wat.

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