Cambodian Landlessness

Also over at the excellent New Mandala is a short posting which makes the correct but often under-reported connection between the massive displacements of the state of Democratic Kampuchea and the current massive displacements and increasing landlessness in Cambodia. Watch this story, folks – it’s the future.

Here.

You can also watch excerpts from an ABC special on Cambodian evictions and landlessness here.

In a different way, but not unconnected, are the rumblings from across the Thai border. The putchist leader of Thailand, General Sonthi, has clearly stated that Thailand’s official national boundaries are unclearly demarcated in reference to that of its neighbors, including Cambodia. Moreover, he acknolwedges that if the issues were to be submitted to the International Court of Justice (which assigned the temple of Preah Vihear back to Cambodia, for instance), Thailand would lose a great deal of its currently controlled territory. It’s very unclear what he’s proposing, though I suspect it’s preliminary to a strong ‘nationalist’ push to remove Thailand from the jurisdiction of international law.