BANGKOK: Thai and Cambodian leaders are locking horns in an increasingly personal war of words, as both sides push their top military “warhorses” to the front in a border confrontation that now carries the weight of sovereignty, prestige and long-term military capability.
On the Thai side, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul (pic right) has given the green light for full military operations and publicly declared his intention to retake 11 contested points along the frontier, signalling there will be no negotiation or compromise until Cambodia complies unconditionally with Thailand’s demands.
The clashes are now into their third day across multiple sectors of the Thai-Cambodian border.
Cambodian Senate president Hun Sen (pic left) has hit back, accusing Thailand of aggression and vowing that Cambodia will respond with its full defence capability, even as Bangkok insists it is acting in self-defence.
Hun Sen reverted to familiar political tactics, releasing a photo of Anutin and his wife dining with Ban Sreymom, governor of Cambodia’s Pailin province, in an attempt to highlight past personal ties.
It is a strategy similar to the leaked audio clips he used to pressure former prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and the previous Thai government.
This time, however, the move has failed to shake the current administration.
Unlike previous episodes, the Thai government, Foreign Ministry and armed forces are acting in lockstep.
Since the first clash at Phu Pha Lek-Phlan Hin Paet Kon in Si Sa Ket, where two Thai soldiers were wounded, the military has moved quickly to evacuate civilians from border areas under the Second Army Area, First Army Area and the Chanthaburi-Trat Border Defence Command, before launching counter-operations.
The Foreign Ministry has also gone on the offensive, inviting 73 envoys – ambassadors from 58 countries, one entity and two international organisations – for a full briefing on the Thai-Cambodian border situation and Thailand’s justification for using force to protect civilians and national sovereignty.
Special explanations have been given to the Malaysian ambassador and US charge d’affaires, as representatives of the two states that witnessed the signing of the Thai-Cambodian Joint Declaration.
At the heart of Thailand’s military posture is army commander-in-chief General Phana Klaewplodthuk and his trusted classmate from Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School Class 26 (Tad 26), Gen Chaiyapruek Duangpraphat, the Army Chief of Staff.
Gen Chaiyapruek, speaking as Anutin’s key military ally, made one of the toughest statements yet.
He said: “Our objective is for the army to render Cambodia’s military capability ineffective for a very long time, for the safety of our children and grandchildren.”
Gen Chaiyapruek is now forward-deployed to the Forward Army Operations Centre, where he is co-commanding combat operations with Lieutenant-General Weerayuth Raksilp, Second Army Area commander, and Lt-Gen Adul Janma, commander of the Special Warfare Command.
Gen Phana remains at the main Army Operations Centre inside Army Headquarters, overseeing battlefield developments alongside the heads of personnel, intelligence, operations, logistics and civil affairs.
Their task is to coordinate and direct operations from army level down to tactical units to ensure speed, unity of command and maximum effectiveness.
Supporting them is a tight-knit circle of Prep School Class 26 generals, including army deputy chief Chitsanupong Rodsiri, assistant army chief Narongrit Kamphira, chief of staff to the commander Anupap Sirimontol, army intelligence chief Teeranan Nandhakwang and the influential “Mae Thap Kung” Lt-Gen Boonsin Padklang, adviser to the army commander and former Second Army chief.
Above them, in the joint command layer, Gen Ukrit Boontanon, Chief of Defence Forces, is coordinating the services under the “Chakrabongse Phuwanarot” and “Yutthabodin” operational plans, backed by air force commander Air Chief Marshal Seksan Kantha and navy commander Admiral Pairote Fuangchan.
Hun Sen, visibly angered by what he views as a hardened Thai stance, has responded with an equally tough message.
Citing Anutin’s declaration on the 11 points, he wrote: “The Thai Prime Minister has announced he will use military force to seize 11 locations, even though we still do not clearly know where they are.
“To make it easier to find, and not difficult, all our armed units must respond at every point where we are attacked.”
He added that Cambodia is defending its territory from “strong fortifications and all types of weapons”, while describing Thai troops as attackers who cannot carry their fortifications with them.
“The aggressor cannot carry fortresses on their backs, and their heads are certainly not made of steel,” he added.
Hun Sen also took aim at a “certain Thai general” – widely interpreted as Gen Chaiyapruek – who vowed to destroy Cambodia’s defence capacity in the long term.
He said: “The words of this general are more powerful than those of the world’s great military and nuclear powers. We will not stand idly by and allow them to destroy us at will.”
In the days before the current clashes, Hun Sen publicly showcased his own frontline commanders, including Gen Hing Bun Heang, commander of the Bodyguard Headquarters (BHQ), and Gen Srey Duk, deputy army commander and commander of the 3rd Division, who had previously been rumoured to have been wounded or killed in the first round of F-16 bombing.
These key officers were photographed standing in formation with Deputy Prime Minister Hun Many during an inspection of troops along the Preah Vihear border last week.
Hun Sen has also been pictured chairing video conferences with Defence Minister Tea Banh and senior field commanders, directing operations after the Dec 7 clash at Phlan Hin Paet Kon.
Cambodia’s main command post is reported to be at Pei Ta Di near Preah Vihear, where Gen Srey Duk is acting as the tactical commander in charge of the current operation.
This latest round of fighting between the Thai military and the forces of Mr Hun Sen is shaping up to be unlike previous border flare-ups.
With sovereignty, national honour, and the perceived long-term military capability of both armies at stake, the conflict has moved far beyond a routine frontier skirmish – and neither side appears ready to back down. - The Nation/ANN
