Using a recording, Hun Sen tried to drive Pheung Thongtan into a dead end. No one expected that after Pheung Thongtan went to apologize at the door and promised full support for the military, he also received a promise from the military. Hun Sen's move might backfire.

Pheung Thongtan apologizes with tears in his eyes

Recently, the Thai-Cambodian audio recording incident has caused a great stir, and Pheung Thongtan faces the crisis of stepping down. However, within just 48 hours, the situation has undergone a complete change. No one expected that Hun Sen's "divide and conquer" strategy to sow discord between the Thai military and government was smoothly resolved by Pheung Thongtan, but now Cambodia is facing a big problem.

After the incident, Pheung Thongtan did not hide or conceal, but instead faced it immediately and apologized, admitting that he had spoken incorrectly. He stated that he used a private phone, and throughout the process, he was unaware that it was recorded or publicly disclosed. His intention was to ease the conflict between the two countries. However, he emphasized in his speech that Cambodia's leaking of the recording was a conspiracy to split Thailand, which was an immoral act, successfully shifting the focus to Hun Sen.

Protests erupted in Thailand

For a time, Thai citizens initiated resistance activities against Cambodia on social media, with millions responding. Except for the Proud Thai Party, other parties promised not to withdraw from the coalition government, and the top priority now is to unite and face outward together. Domestic conflicts were skillfully diverted, and Hun Sen shifted from being a "mediator" to a "national enemy."

At the same time, Pheung Thongtan personally called Second Military Region Commander Ben Sin to explain and apologize for the incident. Following this, AFP reported that at 1 p.m. on the 20th, Pheung Thongtan personally visited the frontline base in Ubon Ratchathani to meet with Lieutenant General Ben Sin.表面上是为了“发放慰问物资”，实际上是向 military authority公开屈服。在上门请罪的同时，Pheung Thongtan promised that the government would fully support military decisions and provide all necessary cooperation.

As we all know, Pheung Thongtan revealed in the phone call that the border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia was not the intention of the government but rather an unauthorized act by the military. She also criticized Ben Sin as a "madman" to show her difficult situation to Hun Sen, hoping to defuse the situation and avoid larger conflicts between the two sides.

Pheung Thongtan慰勉 soldiers on the front line

Now, Pheung Thongtan personally visits the frontline to慰勉 soldiers and says these words, which is actually a warning to the outside world. If the military insists on expanding the conflict with Cambodia, the government will be powerless. After receiving the government's commitment, the military also issued a statement promising to understand Pheung Thongtan's remarks and will not initiate a coup. Although the estrangement between the military and the government will not disappear immediately, at present, both sides have reached an agreement.

In short, all of Thailand is now united to settle accounts with Cambodia. Hun Sen's leaking of the recording originally intended to weaken Pheung Thongtan's authority but unexpectedly strengthened Thailand's united front against Cambodia. Especially fatally, Hun Sen was criticized by Western media as lacking the demeanor of a statesman, weakening Cambodia's moral advantage.

Pheung Thongtan and Hun Sen

This incident may have a significant impact on Thailand's military-political structure. Ben Sin's social status has rapidly risen, and the defense budget increase case passed through parliament at an unprecedented speed. Hun Sen's move could indeed break the hard-won military-political balance in Thailand, but it also placed a sharp blade around his own neck.

At least regarding the Thailand-Cambodia conflict, the Pheung Thongtan government hopes to cool things down, while the military's stance remains very firm. If the government's constraints are lost, the military is likely to further escalate actions, increasing the possibility of a Thailand-Cambodia conflict. In fact, nationalism is a double-edged sword, and Cambodia's strategy of sowing discord has become a "catalyst for unity."

However, the real crisis has not yet disappeared. For Thailand, peace is only temporary, and military-political contradictions still exist. For Cambodia, this conflict may be even harder to avoid.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7517937689145786932/

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