Tribalism and war often go hand-in-hand, and last year’s border conflict between Cambodia and Thailand was no exception. Nationalistic rhetoric was amplified on both sides of the frontier and too often rendered any meaningful discourse as heresy.
Those who dared to offer an opinion were and still are getting whacked by the law. On that score, Cambodia’s ruling “elites” have much to answer for, after losing control of strategically important border territory to Thailand.
Licadho, a local human rights group that monitors Cambodia’s courts, has issued dispatches covering at least 20 people who have been detained, charged, and imprisoned after offending the wrong people with Facebook posts. Nearly all were regarding the conflict with Thailand.
Among them were journalists and opposition politicians but also a monk, teachers, street vendors, and salespeople – people from all walks of life who simply questioned the undeclared war.
That’s why Rin (a pseudonym) would prefer to remain anonymous while reaching out to the regional media with his efforts aimed at reducing the nationalistic claptrap that continues to erupt from both sides of the border.
