2003 Phnom Penh riots

2003 anti-Thai riots in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

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2003 Phnom Penh riots

Phnom Penh riots | Thailand Embassy in Cambodia
Reason | Thai actress despises Cambodian
Radio Releases | Thai Radio FM-105
Demonstration | High school students, grades 11-12
Reasons Riots | Thai authorities shoot dead 1, injure 7
Thai Embassy Riot | Thai embassy set on fire January 29
Thai Business | Destroys 26 Thai companies in Cambodia
Thai Businessmen | 600 Evacuation
Border closure | Poipet,Banteay Meanchey
Baned Thai films | 10 Year
(2003 - 2013)

The Burning of the Thailand Embassy in Phnom Penh 2003 is a historical event of Cambodian-Thai relations that has a rift over the nationalist cause of the two nations. The reason for the protest at the Thailand Embassy in Cambodia is because a Thai actress insulted the Cambodian people and said that all Cambodians are thieves and stolen of Angkor Wat from Thailand. Radio Thai FM-105, so all local media quoted her and broadcast throughout Cambodia.[1]

## Demonstration reasons[edit]

After Cambodia ended the civil war in 1998, the film industry in Cambodia seemed to be still low and Cambodia could not afford to produce films, so under the business cooperation between Cambodia and Thailand, Cambodian television stations. Some started to show Thai movies on TV until they made Cambodians love and support Thai actress Kob Suvanant Kongying, who is the main character. On Thai TV7 and appearing on Cambodian TV5, she is known to Cambodians as Neang Phkay Preok, who starred in Dao Prah Sook. The most popular Thai drama in Cambodia on TV5 is "Tawan Tor Saeng" (រឿងសុរិយាអស្ដង្គត), The sequel was edited to include Sin Sisamouth's romantic tune in the song "Sorya Asdangkot", which made the story even more popular in Cambodia. Therefore, her Morning Star fans in Cambodia would like to invite her to perform on the Cambodian music scene or appear on Cambodian television. Rumors that Thai actress Kob Suvanant Kongying is coming to perform in Cambodia and was interpreted by her in a talk show on Thai Radio FM-105. She said Thai language: (She has no intention of going to Cambodia, if Cambidian wants her to perform in Cambodia, Cambodia must return Angkor Wat to Thailand because Cambodia stole Angkor Wat from Thailand) After her speech, Morning Star, all local newspapers and magazines translated and published throughout Cambodia during the afternoon, Until 5:00 pm, while students were leaving school on Wednesday, January 29, 2003, high school students in grades 11-12 gathered in front of the Thai Embassy and protested. Demand that Thai star Kob Suvanant come forward to publicly apologize to the Cambodian people.[2]

## Cause of the riots[edit]

During the demonstration, the Thai star publicly apologized to the Cambodian people. The Thai embassy did not comment on any solution, so the protesters burned car tires and the Thai flag on the side, In front of the Thai Embassy. So Thai authorities that are on the inside of the Thai embassy have shot dead in the crowd of deaths and seven other injuries under protest against riotism. Throwing stones and throwing gas canisters at the Thai embassy building caused the Thai embassy to be completely destroyed by fire at around 7-8pm while the Thai embassy was on fire by hundreds of military police. People came out to disperse the protesters.[3]

## Destroys 26 Thai companies in Cambodia[edit]

After the Thai embassy was set on fire by protesters the next day, on January 30, Director Thai radio FM-105 was immediately arrested by Thai authorities. The burning of the Thai embassy did not end the Cambodian-Thai conflict. Suvanant Kongying came forward to claim that she did not insult the Cambodian people. But Cambodian citizens claim and want her to appologize in public, after she still did not come out to publicly apologize to Cambodians, so on January 31, protesters attacked a Thai company in Phnom Penh, damaging 26 Thai companies, causing a loss of about $54 million, and the Cambodian side paid $ 5.9 million in damages to the Thai embassy only.[4]

### Operation Pochentong[edit]

Operation Pochentong is an operation by the Thai Air Force, which took several Thai planes to transport about 600 Thai businessmen out of Cambodia during a demonstration aimed at destroying a Thai company in Phnom Penh. The Thai Air Force used five C-130 transport aircraft and one Alenia G.222 to evacuate Thais from Cambodia via Phnom Penh International Airport.[5]

## Closing the Cambodia-Thailand border[edit]

The Thai-Cambodian diplomatic relationship reached its strain, with the Thai government sending a warship and four patrol boats to Cambodia sea, and the Thai side deploying its forces along the Thai-Cambodian border. Thai forces deployed at the border are from Thai-110 Special forces. Therefore, the Cambodian side announced the complete closure of the Cambodian-Thai border on February 4, 2003. The closure of the Cambodian-Thai border has made it impossible for more than 1,000 Thai products can't enter to Cambodia, so trade between Cambodia and Thailand has stalled across the border. Negotiations between the Thai and Cambodian leaders took place several times until the agreement was reached before the Cambodian side agreed to open the border for Thai goods to enter Cambodia, with the Cambodian-Thai border opening, back on March 21, 2003.[6]

## Ban on Thai films in Cambodia for 10 years[edit]

## See also[edit]

* 2013–2014 Cambodian protests

## References[edit]

1. ^ United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Appropriations. Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs. (2004) Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations for ... Hearings Before a Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations, United States Senate... · Volume 4, Publisher: U.S. Government Printing Office Original from Pennsylvania State University
2. ^ National University of Singapore. Faculty of Law (2003) Singapore Journal of International & Comparative Law, Volume 7, Publisher: Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore, Original from the University of California p.295
3. ^ BBC News (2003) Can the dispute between Thailand and Cambodia be resolved?, Website: news.bbc.co.uk, Publication: Monday, 3 February, 2003, 09:14 GMT
4. ^ Chin Kin Wah, Daljit Singh (2004) Southeast Asian Affairs 2004, Publisher: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies p.311 ISBN: 9789812302380, 9812302387
5. ^ Gale Research Inc (2003) Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations, Publisher: Gale Research, Original from Cornell University p.203 ISBN: 0787673307, 9780787673307
6. ^ Daljit Singh (2003) Southeast Asian Affairs 2004, Format: ebook Publisher: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies p.88 ISBN: 9789814517140, 9814517143

## External links[edit]

* The Nation Bangkok Archived 21 April 2005 at the Wayback Machine
* U.S. Department of State Report