Ousted PM's popularity knows no boundaries

Bangkok Post
26/12/2009

Cambodians living across the border from Thailand's northeastern provinces idolise ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a study shows.

The initial findings of the research conducted by National University of Singapore senior lecturer Peter Vail for the Thailand Research Fund were unveiled on Tuesday.

They show border people in Cambodia, due to their geographical proximity to Thailand, are impressed with the former prime minister and the populist policies implemented when he was in power.

"They [survey respondents] also enjoyed discussing polarised Thai domestic politics and we could see several effigies in these areas slandering Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva," said Mr Vail, who is also attached to the Mekong Sub-region Social Research Centre at Ubon Ratchathani University.

The northern Cambodians related to the red shirt group and found the yellow shirts were backward-looking people who wanted to steal Cambodian land and artefacts, he said, adding that they might also want to talk about Cambodian politics but they could not.

"They simply said they did not like [Cambodian Prime Minister] Hun Sen but wanted Hun Sen to introduce populist projects like Thaksin did to Thailand," the researcher said.

Northern Cambodians also disapproved of the Thai-Cambodian spat over Phnom Penh's campaign to list Preah Vihear as a World Heritage site.

"They just want to do business and make money," Mr Vail said. "They simply want better livelihoods, helped by border trade."

His research project, due to be completed in April, targets different groups of Cambodians such as those with employment experience in Thailand, those working for Thai enterprises in Cambodia, those with Thai kinship connections, former refugees who returned home, and monks and teachers.

The research, titled "Cambodia Discourse on Thailand in their Social and Cultural Daily Life", is based on field trips to Preah Vihear, Oddar Meanchey and Siem Reap provinces. The first two Cambodian provinces are opposite Ubon Ratchathani, Si Sa Ket and Buri Ram. The temple is on Cambodian soil opposite Kantharalak district in Si Sa Ket.

"The first group of interviewees based their conflicts with Thailand on Khmer culture authenticity, history and ownership," he said.

He said Thais living along the border provinces with Cambodia could play a role in correcting mistrust and building a culture of understanding between the two peoples.