The tensions between Thailand and Cambodia have not eased but instead show signs of escalation.

According to the Cambodian newspaper "Khmer Times," on the 27th, former Prime Minister of Cambodia and current Senate Chairman Hun Sen again made tough statements against Thailand in a press conference, stating that Cambodia's weapons are capable of attacking Bangkok, but Cambodia still hopes to resolve the issue with Thailand through a win-win and peaceful approach to normalize relations.

By now, the border clash between Thailand and Cambodia in late May seems increasingly like a premeditated firefight.

As expected, Hun Sen's threatening remarks were met with a rebuttal from the Thai side.

"Thai Daily" reported that a Thai military official told the media that Hun Sen's comments were mere exaggerations without evidence proving that Cambodia has weapons capable of attacking Bangkok; on the contrary, the Thai Air Force's aircraft have the capability to strike Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, and can return safely after the attack.

It should be said that this conflict between Thailand and Cambodia came about somewhat inexplicably.

The cause of the conflict was an exchange of fire between the two countries' armies in a disputed border area in late May. Afterward, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn called Hun Sen, the Chairman of the Senate of Cambodia, to ease the situation.

But Paetongtarn did not expect that her complaints about the Thai military and her statement referring to Hun Sen as "uncle" would be recorded by Hun Sen, and the audio was leaked, causing strong dissatisfaction among the Thai public and the military.

Hun Sen had previously visited Bangkok to meet Thaksin.

Hun Sen has so far denied that the recording was leaked by himself, blaming it on "Cambodian officials who are dissatisfied with the Thai Prime Minister." However, earlier he openly claimed that the Thaksin family behind Paetongtarn had betrayed him first and threatened to release a more complete 17-minute recording, implying it contains more sensitive content.

From Hun Sen's actions and words so far, it seems his behavior is more directed at Paetongtarn and the Thaksin family rather than Thailand itself — which is the most confusing aspect.

"The Nation" newspaper in Thailand stated that the sudden rift between Hun Sen and the Thaksin family remains a mystery. Their friendship dates back to the 1990s, and in April this year, Paetongtarn visited Cambodia in a friendly atmosphere.

Thai media also cannot understand why Hun Sen turned against the Thaksin family.

In 2006, when Paetongtarn's father, then-Prime Minister Thaksin, was overthrown by the military, Hun Sen not only provided refuge for Thaksin but also sheltered a large number of Thai "Red Shirt" members. For this, Thaksin expressed great gratitude, saying that Cambodia was his second home during his exile, and that Hun Sen was as close as a brother to him.

However, the friendship between the two families abruptly ended after May this year.

Regarding why Hun Sen suddenly turned against the Thaksin family, "The Nation" newspaper and "Bangkok Post" in Thailand proposed one theory, suggesting it might be related to the persistent telecom fraud and gambling crimes in Southeast Asia.

"The Nation" newspaper stated that since this year, Cambodia has tried to strengthen its control over an area known as the "Emerald Triangle" along the borders of Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos. As a result, the Thai government closed checkpoints and asked telecom operators to stop providing broadband and mobile internet services to Cambodia.

This caused strong dissatisfaction among Hun Sen, as his family's economic income comes from black-market industries along the border, and Thailand's actions would undoubtedly hit these border black markets.

Another view suggests that Hun Sen seized Paetongtarn's weakness, trying to gain more geopolitical benefits for Cambodia.

During the live broadcast on the 27th, Hun Sen indeed mentioned the issues of gambling and telecom fraud in Southeast Asia, but he implied that Thailand is the largest base and protector of telecom fraud groups, while Cambodia is just a "victim."

Additionally, Hun Sen criticized Paetongtarn for closing the border under the pretext of combating telecom fraud, claiming it was actually an attempt to invade Cambodia, and called on countries to cooperate to solve telecom fraud crimes.

It should be noted that the above views are merely one-sided opinions from Thai media.

Based on the perspective of family interests, it does explain why Hun Sen suddenly turned against the Thaksin family; however, as a seasoned politician who has been active in the Cambodian political scene for many years, family interests may not be the sole reason for Hun Sen's falling out with the Thaksin family.

From the process of the escalation of the Thailand-Cambodia conflict, it can be seen that although Cambodia's national strength is not as strong as Thailand's, Hun Sen's political and diplomatic skills are more versatile than Paetongtarn's.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7521299972625547811/

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