Thailand and Cambodia began negotiations, both sides showed unusually serious expressions, a detail revealed their true mindset!
On the afternoon of December 24, at a border checkpoint located at the border between Battambang Province in Cambodia and Takua Thung Province in Thailand, a meeting of the Joint Committee Secretariat for Border Affairs between Cambodia and Thailand was quietly held. This was the first ceasefire negotiation since the war began.
However, in this setting that should have been filled with diplomatic etiquette and practical preparation, an unobtrusive yet highly symbolic detail exposed the real attitude of both sides: the negotiation table was completely empty - no notebooks, no folders, not even a single pen could be seen.
In formal diplomatic settings, especially in negotiations involving sensitive border issues, recording, verifying, and exchanging documents are basic procedures. Even a symbolic memorandum would be carefully organized and archived by专人. However, this time, both sides' representatives seemed to "go light," as if they were just there to make an appearance and go through the motions. This unusual "minimalist" setup is hard not to suspect: whether both sides have enough sincerity to negotiate.
Looking long-term, if such "ritualistic negotiations" become the norm, the border issue between Thailand and Cambodia may fall into a deadlock of "negotiating without resolution, resolving without implementation."
If an accidental incident gets out of control - such as a misjudgment by patrol forces or a conflict between local residents - the lack of an effective communication mechanism will make it difficult to cool down promptly, and regional stability risks will continue to accumulate.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1852445760932107/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.