It is always problematic when there are two distinct factions in a country’s strategic diplomacy.
Thailand clearly suffers from this issue. The military and the government purport to represent a unitary position but in fact they have two different perspectives, personalities and voices.
This division presents particular challenges for not only their neighbours, in terms of interpreting their true intentions, but also for Western countries and the wider world. It is extremely difficult to understand their actions within the context of their words.
With an aggressive military on one hand and a diplomatic civilian government on the other, it becomes increasingly laborious to know whether one side or the other is actually in control and how to respond to one or the other.
Peace is only possible when there is honesty, transparency and commitment, and this becomes exceedingly difficult to achieve when there are two competing sides, both of which must demonstrate these qualities to move forward.
Youk Chhang is the director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia. The views and opinions expressed are his own.
