Bark with a Better Sense, Please

A few days ago, I received my very first blog comment by a Thai reader named Tavorn Kamboonreang concerning the Preah Vihear issue. Hoping not to spark further hatred among the two peoples, I’d tried to restrain myself from responding, though deep inside I was very upset by his thoughtless comment.

Dear Khamen(Cambodian) Neighbors,

You think you win the Preah Vihear World Heritage now but soon you will see that you lost because UNESCO will send 7 nations including Thailand to “invade” your country. UNESCO ripped our two countries apart by siding with you and your foxy politicians. You know where you belong. Look at Phnom Penh which was built to model after Bangkok by King Narodom who lived and worked in Bangkok under Thai Royal Patronage for years. Rejoice now but be prepared to get back to be under Thailand’s protection again because you need to be where you belong. I am your Thai neighbor and it’s my duty to help you get back to your good sense. Remember who help you when your country was under the Khmer Rouge-Pol Pot and your refugees had nowhere else to run to but Thailand. Please take care and be grateful.

Shortly after, a Cambodian reader under the name Khmerthug4life posted a respond to the comment, which I thought was pretty well-reasoned.

To: Tavorn Kamboonreang

Straight up chuz!!! My Khmer folks never teach us Khmers to hate the Thais. That’s real talk. You’re right [that] both countries are just as bad to one another. But when it comes down to the line, Thailand has done more harm to innocent Khmer civilians than Khmers has ever done to any Thais. In fact, during the 800s as it was documented, Thais aka Siam were living in Nanchao, Southern China, until the Mongols invaded and forced them to flee into Khmer land. Tai people were welcome in Cambodia (Funan) and they were helped by the Khmer King Brother’s Preah Rong. (Read: Eksar Maha Boros Khmer)

Thai refugee camps were not free. Read “Quality of Mercy” of William Shawcros. Shawcross was a journalist following about 45,000 Khmer refugees running into Thailand seeking for help, but instead those poor Khmers were forced by Thai soldiers to get onto buses and transfer to the Preah Vihear Khmer-Thai border. Those poor Khmer refugees were forced by Thai soldiers to walk across the minefields back to Cambodia.

Shawcross estimated thousands were killed by Thai soldiers and by landmines.Thai cruelty provoked the international community and the UN. Thailand was forced by the international community and the UN to accept money and guarantee, so that the international community and the UN can get all Khmer refugees out of Thailand safely. [In another case,] Thai soldiers [would] beat up Khmer children who played the Thai coins on which there was an emblem of the Thai King.

Read the Preah Vihear temple case. It has been almost 50 years now that Thailand lost a case against Cambodia and Thailand today continues to protest against Cambodia over the same Khmer temple non-stop.

It is Thailand that hates Cambodia, not Cambodia hates Thailand!!!

And this morning, Tavorn Kamboonreang was back with another defensive yet ridiculous comment.

Dear Good Khamen Neighbors,

Say whatever you want about Thai people. You don’t know the real Thai spirit because you are not Thai. You just heard the hearsay, bias history, or know only bits and pieces about Thais. Hurry up, restore Preah Vihear. After that Thais will take over. Cambodia will be under Thailand protection just the way you were before French and Khmer Rouge took over. You take Preah Vihear now and the Thais will take Khao Phra Vihan and the entire Kampucha later!!!

This time I’ve really run out of patience for this man. How I wish he could have been more reasonable. Below is my comment to him.

Dear Mr. Tavorn,

As the owner of this blog, I’ve tried to keep restraint so as to avoid sparking racist discussion here. Now that you’ve brought it up again, let me respond to your comment.

First of all, please call us Khmer. We are not Khom nor Khamen (nor Kha-Men) as some Thais like to call us.

Second, you said we were wrongly accusing/blaming the Thai people. It’s true that all races in this world comprise of both good and bad people. However, your comment didn’t at all bring us any better impression of your people and country. At a personal level, you are representing the attitude of a group of overly nationalistic Thais whom we loathe to the bones. Your disrespect and thirst for other people’s territory and national heritages show us the true colors of yourself. Before you even started barking, I suggest you read more history books – esp. the unbiased ones not written by Thais. While reading, ask yourself these questions — Who built the temple? Who invaded and took over it? Who lost the ICJ ruling? And again who, in the end, got the temple back? You are just way too ethnocentric. Be more open-minded please.

Third, I wouldn’t deny the help Thailand provided Cambodia with the refugee crisis back in the early 80’s; I am very grateful to that. However, was that a sincere help or was it a result of international pressure? I have a countless number of relatives who were mistreated and almost died in the hand of Thai soldiers, who robbed them of their money and dumped them in minefields along the Dangrek Mountain Range. If you would like to listen directly from these innocent victims, I am more than happy to put you in touch with them.

Fourth, please get the FACT straight. UNESCO didn’t take side with Cambodia. Nor did we encroach onto Thai territory. They were only doing what was right. The rightful owner deserves to get back what was taken. The 1962 ICJ ruling stated very clearly that Preah Vihear belongs to Cambodia. What is wrong with us managing the temple inside our own home? Please stop being so gullible by listening to all the hot air your “foxy” politicians blow. Get back to reality, my man.

Last, I can’t see the possibility of you or your country taking over Cambodia anytime soon. Cambodia isn’t that easy for anyone to take over. We are protected by international laws, organizations and communities. We, Cambodians, would rather die for our nation if that ever happens. In addition, I also don’t see your government doing that either. Thailand is bombarded with too much crisis at home to ever care about this. My advice is for you to deal with these internal issues first, or your demise will come soon.

Good luck!!

Mongkol