13/11/2009
Ploenpote Atthakor
Bangkok Post
What the Cambodian PM is not prepared for, perhaps, is the rising anti-Cambodia sentiment among the Thai general public, fuelled by the Thai media.
When the Thai government decided to recall its ambassador to Cambodia after Prime Minister Hun Sen appointed Thaksin Shinawatra as his economic adviser, many people including my colleagues here at the Bangkok Post, asked if the Thai government had overreacted in a move which eventually resulted in an intense diplomatic spat.
To me, the whole Hun Sen-Thaksin affair is just another PR trick by the former prime minister who is ready to do anything only to be at the centre of media attention, no matter what the consequences may be. After Songkran, when the red-shirt protesters forced the cancellation of the Asean meeting, Thaksin's struggle to draw media attention did not come out well. With his messages repeated, words from him became devoid of any sense of newsworthiness, and he knew it.
That is why he had to come up with new tactics. With cooperation from Hun Sen and Gen Chavalit "Big Jiew" Yongchaiyudh, the businessman-cum-politician-cum-fugitive found a way into the media spotlight again.
Like it or not, Thaksin seems born for this tricky job. His carefully planned travel to Phnom Penh this week grabbed the media's attention. Well, he had no fear of being extradited. Honestly, it is an unrealistic wish for Thailand in the first place to have Cambodia extradite this fugitive politician. After all, one should not forget that corruption is somehow not a punishable crime in that country. If we look back, no Cambodian politicians have ever been brought to justice for corruption since the country reopened to the world after the UN-brokered elections in 1993.
Again, the media is made to believe that it cannot afford to miss a word from the ex-PM. While I was writing this column, a large group of newshounds was gathering in Phnom Penh in the hope that Thaksin, who was to deliver a speech before some 300 Cambodian businessmen, would give them a chance for an interview. More space for the ex-PM's airy rhetoric?
At this very moment, it is obvious that both Hun Sen and Thaksin have maximised immediate political gains. Thaksin has enjoyed extensive media coverage while Hun Sen, playing the Thaksin card, can take a break from questions he has been facing at home about border issues with Vietnam. The arrival of Thaksin also deflects the attention of Cambodians from the ongoing trial of former Khmer Rouge cadres. After all, Hun Sen knows full well that without a strong political opponent, his PM's seat is more secure compared to the shaky one Mr Abhisit is sitting on.
What the Cambodian PM is not prepared for, perhaps, is the rising anti-Cambodia sentiment among the Thai general public, fuelled by the Thai media.
Since the first day that Hun Sen showed his support for the ex-PM, a number of journalists did not hesitate to stir up a nationalist sentiment.
Many jumped up to scratch open old scars from Thai-Cambodian history, linking Hun Sen's act with that of Cambodian King Lovek, known in Thai as Phraya Lavaek, who sought to liberate his kingdom from Siam during the reign of King Naresuan. This Cambodian king and his "betrayal" is cited every time Thai-Cambodian relations turn sour.
Others call for the government to close the borders as a way to "punish" Cambodia even though such a move would hurt people from both sides economically.
The thing is, such a drastic move can happen. When big politicians play their games, it is always the small people who suffer first. Besides, this is not the first time the two countries' relations have been strained.
Of course, what the Cambodian PM is doing is not acceptable by any standards and Thailand had no choice but to respond. But when the dust has settled both Cambodia and Thailand will have to come to their senses. It is not practical for them to hate each other for a long time - as happened in the past.
With so much at stake, the next move will be a difficult one for leaders of the two countries to maintian their gains. Under the circumstances the media must be prepared to play a constructive role and fulfil its task with maturity, not to fall into Thaksin's PR trap.
Ploenpote Atthakor writes for the Outlook section, Bangkok Post.
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