9174 H2 P2 ASEAN SBQ Notes

README: TheremaybesomeSinglishand/or innuendosinthesenotes. Pleasedonot beoffendedor takenabackbythem. Thankyou:) Part I: PreahVihear temple ● Thetemplewasbuilt byaKhmer king, theKhmersweredirect ancestorsof Cambodians● Wastakenover byThaisintheformof theSiameseempire, whosawthemselvesastheheir of thegreat Khmer empire● Historical animositiesbetweenThaisandCambodiansresultinginwar. CambodiansresentedThai dominance+assimilationof Khmers. March1907Franco-Siamborder treaty● WhenfranceestablishedcoloniesinIndochina, theyclaimedterritorythat waswithinThai spheresof influence, whichwereperceivedbymanyinSiamtobe‘lost territory’***● Boundarywasdecidedalongwatershedlineof themountainrange, andPreahVihearwasinThai sideof watershed● But FrenchsurveyorsplacedPreahVihear inCambodianterritory, andThai legendsaysfellawasdrunkgot prettygirl thenpenslipetc● Thaiswerenot awareof thisdiscrepancyuntil 1934(VERYimportant torecognisethat in1934theydidnot raiseaclear objectiontothisandnor didtheyconduct their ownsurvey(albeit theydidnot havethecapacityto) WW2andpost-war context● Thailandseizedthetempleandsurroundingareas, reclaimingsomeof its‘lost territories’astheycollaboratedwiththeJapanese● Treatyof Washingtonreturnedborder topre-war status ● After Cambodiagainedindependencein1953, Thai militarymovedintoTempleareaandCambodiadidnot respondastheyfacedinstabilityandturmoil● Thailandonlyassertedsovereigntyin1956, whenofficialsraisedtheThai flagatPreahVihear. Alsobuilt apoliceborder checkpoint

It isimportant torecognisethesignificanceof thetempletobothCambodiansandThais Cambodianmotivations1) Nation-building: PreahVihear isseenasaniconof ancient cultural grandeur ofKhmers, andisarepresentationof Khmer identity2) Domesticpolitics: KingSihanouk(ruler of Cambodiaat thetime) wasmadeKingbytheFrenchin1941, andcampaigningfor templewouldgivehimmorelegitimacy Thai motivations1) Nation-building: Territory, religionandmonarchyaremaintenetsof Thai nationalism, andlosingPreahVihear wouldthereforeundermineThailand’sstability2) Theyhadalreadytakencareof andmaintainedthetemplefor solong, sowhygiveitup?3) Unwillingnesstogiveinto‘inferior race’ - Khmers. Manyprominent Thai nationalistssawthegreat monumentsandtemplesbuilt bytheGreat Angkor civilizationtonot betheworksof Khmers, but of Khoms, whowereunrelatedtotheKhmers. Henceforth, thetideof nationalismandthat historical negationismwasanother reasonwhytheydidnot wanttogiveintoCambodia. Also, inbetweenthesemotivationsisCW● Thailandwasfoundingmember of SEATOin1954, Cambodiawas‘neutral’ asit sawSEATOasprovocationof communists● Thailandreinforceditsborder withCambodiaasaresult● PRCandCambodiarelationsweregettingwarmer, andbothissuedastatementreferringto‘hostileactsbyCambodia’sneighbors’, whichledThailandtodeclarestateofemergencyalongitsCambodianfrontier Resolvedisputes ● CambodiasubmittedcasetoICJin1959 At ICJruling,● Thailandarguedthat 1907treatywasnot legally-bindingasit wasnever agreeduponbyjoint commission, andcitedtheir defactocontrol an