War on social media arises against the background of border contractions

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BBC NEWS, Singapore

People Reuters, evacuating from the village of Pong -tiuk, in the Bantey Empel area, about 20 km (12 miles) from a controversial moaning tonm that rests in a temporary shelterReuters

As more than a dozen people in Thailand and Cambodia have been killed this week, regional governments are trying to prevent war between the two countries.

But a different kind of war between their citizens was already raging – through more and more militant exchange in social media.

Nationalists on both sides have long overcome several points of national pride – from ownership of temples and territories to the origins of traditional dances, costumes, food and sports.

The elevation of tensions in recent weeks, which ended with deadly attacks on Thursday, has now pushed young people on both sides to trade fresh barbs on the Internet.

Social media comments on the conflict have turned into an online zone, and Thai and Cambodian users argue with each other and support the official version of the events of their governments.

“Justice for Cambodia”, one Cambodian user commented on a Tiktok user’s video recording that is trying to explain the conflict. “Thai troops opened fire on Cambodian forces.”

“(Who) will trust (what) the largest fraudulent country said?” Thai -user replied, citing widespread Cambodia centers in Cambodia Which captured hundreds of thousands.

“Cambodia first fired in Thailand. This is true. Join the use of the hashtag #cambodiaopenedfire,” the Thai X user wrote in a message that viewed a million times.

Meanwhile, the Cambodians use the hashtag “Thailand” and creates its own video about the conflict.

Getti Images Tourists posing for photos in the Preah Vihear TempleGets the image

Preta, the 11th century temple, located near the controversial territory

Border tensions between the two countries have been boiling since May, after a short clash killed one Cambodian soldier. Both countries imposed travel restrictions on each other and strengthened military presence along the border.

As bilateral ties are immersed in the lowest level in ten years, some have expressed concern about social media hatred that threatened to share the two countries even more.

Cambodia Associations and Thai journalists made a joint statement in May, saying that social media users “disseminate information without clear sources” and “caused confusion”.

The groups called on social media users to “carefully consider potential consequences” when sharing the contents related to the border.

As heating everything, several also accepted the warlike offline. The viral video, posted on Thursday, showed that it seemed like a Thai man asking Cambodia workers to perform with Khmer – before hitting one of them in the face.

“Now we are starting to see violence, even among groups that do not have a previous conflict between them,” said Wilaiwan Jongwilaikasaem, a professor at the University of Tomasat, said BBC Thai, describing nationalist influences as a “war for hatred”.

Map of Southeast Asia, which emphasizes Thailand and Cambodia. The main main cities of Bangkok and Pnopen are marked and three Thai provinces at the border with Cambodia - Sisackets, Surin and Ubon Ratchans -

Long cultural rivalry

There are many sensory sensory points for social media warriors from both countries to fight.

The dispute between the two countries goes back to more than 100 years ago, when the borders of the two countries were depicted after the French occupation of Cambodia.

In 2008, Cambodia registered the Vih, the 11th century temple, located near the controversial border as an object of UNESCO’s world heritage – a step that was met with a passionate protest from Thailand.

Later, the dispute expanded to the Ta 3 century temple complex – in which Cambodia claimed that on Thursday, Thai troops were lining with barbed wire.

These historical sites are at the heart of the long -standing cultural rivalry between the two countries, which also spreads to sports, cuisine and clothing.

Thai nationalists decipher what they say is the theft of cultural “requirements”, while their Khmer’s colleagues dubbed them “Siamese thieves”.

In 2023, Thai kickboxers boycotted southeastern Asia’s games in Cambodia after a sports event they recognized as Muay -like, like Kong Hmer, which is what Cambodia is called.

Earlier this month, there was a dispute after Cambodia nominated its wedding tradition of Khmer for the inscription on the list of intangible cultural heritage.

Thai social media users claim that the Thai traditional dress was run – igniting the anger and allocation of culture, as Thailand also sought to make his traditional outfit recognized by UNESCO.

Most recently, Thai tourists attacked Cambodian military officers at the Ta Muen Thom temple, in a controversial area along the Thai-commercial border.

Watch: People are hidden after flashing between troops of Thailand and Cambodia

The war of politicians on x

Will the aggression faded yet to find out Cambodia called for ceasefire.

On the other hand, political royalists on both sides – which are the avid social media users also throw at each other.

In a report on X, the former populist Prime Minister in Thailand Toxin Shinovatt said he assessed the proposals he received to help mediate hostilities.

“But I asked for a while because I should let Thai troops teach Huin the hay lesson for his trick,” he wrote.

Hong Saint, a former leader who remains influential in Cambodian politics, has abandoned his account X.

“I am not surprised by the toxin’s attitude to me because he even betrayed the Thai king, as well as members of his own party,” he wrote on Friday. “Now, under the pretext of avenge Huna, he appeals to the war, the final consequence of which will be the suffering of the people.”

This particular escalation of events was actually caused Unexpected destruction of a long -standing friendship Between Huun Sen and Taxin Shinovat. Hong Saint traced the phone call between him and the daughter of the toxin, the polytongar -shaped.

The conversation where the polytongarne – then the Prime Minister – called him “uncle”, and criticized one of her own military commanders, was very uncomfortable for her and caused mass public anger.

Since then, it has been rejected as a prime minister, and the Thai Constitutional Court has been considering dismissal.

Some Thai believe that the leak of the phone call was an attempt by Huna Seno to distract him.

“Hong wants controversy and war, he wants to secure his son’s future position (Cambodia), and he needs to have a greater enemy, and so he presses on the anti-Thai story and war,” said one of the Thai social media users in response to Cambodia, who said,

Even if the border conflict stops to be a full -fledged war, social media fights will continue to continue.

Additional PAWEENA NINBUT report

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