{"id":25323,"date":"2025-07-31T20:50:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-31T17:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/?p=25323"},"modified":"2025-07-31T20:50:00","modified_gmt":"2025-07-31T17:50:00","slug":"the-beginning-of-the-terrible-us-china-war-the-battles-between-thailand-and-cambodia-with-dozens-of-dead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/?p=25323","title":{"rendered":"The beginning of the terrible US-China war, the battles between Thailand and Cambodia with dozens of dead"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The new conflicts between Cambodia and Thailand, which have recently flared up over the disputed border zone around the Preah Vihear temple, have highlighted not only the historical tensions between the two countries, but also the broader geopolitical interests that can arise from a local crisis. Despite the fact that Thailand officially states that it is simply \u201cdefending itself against unprovoked attacks,\u201d the developments, the manner of escalation and the rhetoric of the military establishment indicate that things may be heading towards a strategic shift \u2013 even towards the scenario of overthrowing the Phnom Penh regime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The political crisis in Thailand and the need for \u201cnational uplift\u201d through an external adversary<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thailand is in one of the most unstable political periods in its recent history. The military establishment, which maintains absolute control over the political scene after successive coups and interventions, has seen its social legitimacy collapse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Corruption scandals, repression of the opposition, and the strict application of the lese-majeste law have brought the army face to face with a growing wave of social discontent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this context, the creation or projection of an external enemy can function as a mechanism to rally society, but also to strengthen the army as a \u201cguarantor of national security.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cambodia is ideally suited: it has a historical rivalry with Thailand, has a smaller military force, and is still ruled by Hun Sen and his son \u2013 figures who have already been demonized within the Thai public discourse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, as in many cases around the world, military engagement with a weaker country easily degenerates into a protracted campaign when the objectives of the operation extend beyond the initial purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the conflicts continue and the narrative of a \u201cpermanent threat from the Cambodian regime\u201d strengthens, it is not excluded that the idea will be promoted that the permanent solution is demilitarization or even the overthrow of the Hou Sen regime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This could be presented as a \u201cpreemptive action for regional stability\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The West\u2019s Old Rhetoric<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hou Sen has been targeted by the West before. His rumored agreement with China to host a Chinese naval base in Cambodia, as well as his anti-Western governance, have made him an undesirable interlocutor for the US and the EU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Against this backdrop, a Thai regime change operation could gain tacit support from the West, especially if accompanied by Thai commitments that the new regime in Phnom Penh will distance itself from China. That is, the intervention does not have to be \u201con the orders of the West\u201d to serve its interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

China\u2019s and Russia\u2019s Silence: Strategic Calculation or Complicit Inaction?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although Cambodia is a close ally of China, and Russia\u2019s rhetoric advocates multipolarity and respect for the sovereignty of states, neither superpower would want to clash with Thailand \u2013 a more powerful and geostrategically crucial partner in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

China is investing billions in Thailand, from railway networks to industrial parks, and it is unlikely to risk these relationships for the sake of Phnom Penh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, Russia, which is trying to strengthen its presence in Asia, may maintain a neutral stance \u2013 while its own media rarely criticizes Moscow\u2019s strategic partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vietnam and its historical influence in Cambodia<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The only state that could potentially prevent an open intervention by Thailand is Vietnam \u2013 which historically had overthrown the Khmer Rouge regime and supported the rise of Houn Sen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, Vietnam-Cambodia relations are complex and it is not excluded that Hanoi may not look down on a partial \u201crearrangement\u201d of balances, as long as its own influence is not threatened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vietnam is most likely to silently observe developments, reserving the right to intervene only if the situation completely gets out of control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Mekong hinterland as a silent battlefield of the new era<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The possible scenario of regime change in Cambodia by Thailand is not just about the two countries. It is indicative of how local tensions can be transformed into geopolitical tools, whether for military regimes seeking legitimacy or for global powers seeing opportunities to realign their influence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In an era when the West seeks allies to contain China and the East seeks to maintain its influence without provoking open conflict, silence may prove more eloquent than overt action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cambodia\u2019s fate may not be decided on the battlefields of the border but at diplomatic tables behind closed doors. And its people, as so many times in history, may once again find themselves a mere bystander to the decisions of the powerful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Geopolitical realignment in Southeast Asia<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amidst the rapid geopolitical developments, the most tragic aspect is often overlooked: the human lives lost. Already, the border fighting has left behind dozens of dead soldiers and civilians and hundreds of wounded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Villages have been evacuated, families have been torn apart, and young children are experiencing the horror of war. These deaths, from all sides, are not \u201ccollateral damage\u201d but a resounding message that escalation is already having a very heavy price.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the leaderships of the two countries and international powers ignore this reality, then the next step may be generalized destruction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Thai Bombings – Bloodbath Fears<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thailand on 26\/7\/2025 launched new air strikes inside Cambodian territory, causing many deaths and thousands of displaced people. The Thai Air Force announced that four F-16 and JAS-39 Gripen fighters carried out strikes against Cambodian artillery positions in the Phu Ma Kua area and the Ta Muen Thom temple, a symbol of the conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Almost simultaneously, Phu Ma Kua was captured by Thai ground forces. The operation was described as \u201csuccessful\u201d by the authorities, without further details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fighting began after two landmine explosions on July 16 and 23 injured Thai soldiers in Ubon province. Tensions have escalated around the historic Ta Muen Thom temple, a site of long-standing territorial disputes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 817-km border remains partly undefined, a result of colonial demarcation by France, while Thailand refuses to grant Cambodia\u2019s request for jurisdiction to the International Court of Justice in The Hague.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The total number of casualties is rising dramatically:<\/p>\n\n\n\n