Colonial Borders, Imperial Legacies

The origins of this conflict lie in the colonial era, when French imperial authorities unilaterally carved Southeast Asia into territories to serve their own strategic and economic interests. In Cambodia’s case, France marked 817 kilometers as Cambodian territory, a decision that sowed the seeds of long-term disputes-particularly over ancient temples near the border. But while colonial cartography drew the lines, today’s violence is sustained by ruling classes who manipulate historical grievances to inflame nationalism and distract from their own failings.

Corruption, Capital, and Distraction

In Cambodia, a massive scandal has exposed the ruling family’s links to the Huione Group, a Phnom Penh-based financial empire accused of laundering billions of dollars through subsidiaries such as Haowang Guarantee, Huione Pay PLC, and Huione Crypto-often via Thailand. Its top executive, Hun To, is directly related to both the current Senate President and the Prime Minister.

Warnings from Cambodia’s Central Bank and exposés in international media have not brought reform or justice. Instead, the eruption of the border conflict has allowed the ruling family to rebrand themselves as nationalist defenders, shielding them from scrutiny. The timing of the flare-up-coinciding with peak public attention on the scandal-reveals how war can be deployed as a political smokescreen.

Dynasties and Militarism

The Cambodian leadership’s leaking of a phone call implicating Thailand’s Prime Minister in internal military disputes deepened tensions. In Thailand, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra-daughter of Thaksin and niece of Yingluck-represents another entrenched dynasty. Both Cambodia and Thailand are trapped in cycles where power oscillates between oligarchic families and militaries, leaving democratic institutions weak and easily overridden.

The temple dispute, though settled in international courts in Cambodia’s favor, has been weaponized by the Thai state to rally nationalist sentiment-much like China’s refusal to recognize international rulings on the West Philippine Sea. Nationalism here is not a defense of the people’s sovereignty but a tool for political survival.

War on the Marginalized

On July 24, the conflict turned into open warfare. Civilians and soldiers died. ASEAN Chair and Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s ceasefire initiative failed when Thailand broke the truce. The UN scheduled a meeting, but violence persisted.

The greatest suffering falls not on the ruling elite but on the poor-farmers, fisherfolk, Indigenous communities-forced to flee their homes and abandon their land. These are people who had no voice in the decisions that sparked the war, yet they bear its heaviest burdens.

Poverty in Cambodia remains at nearly 18%, with high rates of hunger and poor health. In Thailand, 2.3 million people-mostly rural-live in poverty. The Philippines faces similar patterns, with political dynasties controlling most provinces and deepening poverty among peasants, fishers, and Indigenous Peoples. Across the region, elite domination-rooted in colonial structures and sustained by capitalist systems—means the basic needs of the majority are systematically neglected.

Imperialism in the Peace Process

Even the ceasefire was less a triumph of diplomacy than a display of geopolitical bargaining. It happened only under pressure from Malaysia, China, and the United States-the latter using trade talks as leverage. This reveals how “peace” in such contexts is often treated as a bargaining chip for imperial and economic interests, not as a human right or moral imperative.

The farce deepened when Cambodia nominated Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize—a gesture earlier endorsed by Pakistan and Israel-laying bare the cynicism and image manipulation that defines global elite politics.

The Struggle Ahead

This conflict is not only primarily about land and territories. It is about systems — colonial borders upheld by postcolonial rulers, capitalist profiteering that enriches the few, and militarism that treats human lives as expendable in the pursuit of power. Nationalism here is not transformative —it is a weapon used by ruling elites to silence dissent, justify militarization, and pit peoples against each other instead of against their true oppressors.

If we are to break these cycles, the path forward must be rooted in anti-colonial solidarity, dismantling dynastic and military rule, resisting the capitalist looting of our lands and labor, and upholding the human rights of all peoples. We must reject the false choice between domestic autocrats and foreign imperialists. The real sovereignty we seek is the power of communities to control their land, resources, and future-free from exploitation, militarism, and domination. And solidarity from below should be worked and strengthened by all the stakeholders and specially the oppressed, exploited and the marginalized.

The future of Southeast Asia will not be secured by dynasties, armies, or billionaires. It will be won by the organized, united struggles of the peoples across borders, refusing to be silenced by the sound of gunfire or fooled by the waving of flags that mask the greed of the powerful.

Raul Urbano
Mindanao, Philippines