Reference News Network, July 26 report - According to the BBC website on July 25, this week, border conflicts have caused multiple casualties in Thailand and Cambodia. However, another "war" between the citizens of the two countries - a confrontation on social media platforms - is intensifying.

For a long time, both sides have been disputing various issues related to national pride, including the ownership of temples and territories, the origins of traditional dance, clothing, food, and sports.

The comment sections of posts about this conflict on social media platforms have become battlegrounds for online warfare, with Thai and Cambodian users arguing with each other and supporting their respective governments' official statements on the incident.

A user tried to explain the conflict in a video. Below the video, a Cambodian user commented: "Justice for Cambodia. It was the Thai army that first fired at the Cambodian army."

A Thai user replied: "Who would believe the words of the biggest liar country?"

As bilateral relations have dropped to their lowest point in a decade, some people are concerned about the hate speech being spread on social media platforms, which could further divide the relationship between the two nations.

The associations of journalists from Cambodia and Thailand issued a joint statement in May saying that social media users "spread information without clear sources," "causing confusion." These journalistic organizations urged social media users to "carefully consider the potential consequences" when forwarding content related to the border.

Professor Vireepan Jongsawat, a professor of journalism at Thammasat University in Thailand, told the BBC's Thai channel that nationalist influencers have launched a "war of hatred."

There are many sensitive points of contact that keep the social media warriors of the two countries engaged in endless arguments.

In 2008, Cambodia submitted the Preah Vihear Temple, located near the disputed border, to the UNESCO World Heritage List. This move was strongly protested by Thailand. The dispute later expanded to the Damnoen Saduak Temple site area.

These historical sites have been at the center of the long-term cultural rivalry between the two countries. This rivalry also extends to areas such as sports, food, and clothing.

Thai nationalists condemn Cambodia's so-called "cultural theft," while Cambodian nationalists call the other side "Siamese thieves."

In 2023, Thai boxing athletes boycotted the Southeast Asian Games held in Cambodia because the Cambodians referred to the sport they considered Muay Thai as "Khmer Boxing."

This month, Cambodia submitted an application to include the Khmer traditional wedding ceremony in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List, which sparked controversy.

Thai social media users claimed that the application included a traditional Thai garment, causing anger and accusations of cultural appropriation, as Thailand is also seeking to include its royal traditional attire in the intangible cultural heritage list. (Translated by Ma Dan)

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7531364494585512498/

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