State and Uncivil Society in Thailand at the Temple of Preah Vihear

Download or read book State and Uncivil Society in Thailand at the Temple of Preah Vihear written by Puangthong R. Pawakapan and published by Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. This book was released on 2013-08-19 with total page 143 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since it began in 2008, the dispute over the temple of Preah Vihear and its adjacent area has envenomed Thai-Cambodian relations. Puangthong R. Pawakapan argues that initially Thai-Cambodian cooperation on the temple had begun within the framework of Thailand’s strategy to become a regional economic centre and leader. It was the first time in Southeast Asia that two formerly antagonistic states were employing cultural methods to settle a territorial dispute and turned it into a symbol of friendship and cooperation between the two countries. But the ultra-nationalist movement derailed this essay in cooperation. Instead, the temple became a symbol of hatred between the two countries. The ultra- nationalists’ success has to be attributed to the support it enjoyed from various civic groups and institutions.