More than 90% of Cambodians have expressed satisfaction with the Cambodian government’s general approach to resolving the Cambodia-Thailand border dispute, according to a public opinion survey conducted by the Asia Vision Institute (AVI).
A June 18 AVI press release presented the results of Opinion Survey on the Cambodia-Thailand Border Area Disputes.
The AVI conducted a June 17 survey, with the goal of understanding public opinion and the perceptions of Cambodian people. The institute primarily collected date online, from total of 1,588 participants from diverse backgrounds, including domestic and foreign workers, private sector, government officials, students, business people and other groups.
The key results of the opinion survey showed that:
1. The overwhelming majority of Cambodian people (over 93.6%) were satisfied with the government’s actions in resolving the Cambodian-Thailand border area disputes.
2. 99.8% of the Cambodian people support the government in resolving the border disputes in the Mom Bei area, as well as the Ta Moan Thom, Ta Moan Tauch and Ta Krabei temples, through the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Among them, Cambodian people (29.3%) valued bilateral negotiations as long as they are connected with the mechanism of ICJ, although there was a small percentage of Cambodian people, approximately 1.1%, believe in using the existing bilateral mechanisms. Among all participants, almost none (approximately 0.2%) supports war.
3. 88.7% of Cambodian people are satisfied with the government’s border closures in response to the unilateral border restrictions by the Thai military. In addition, 88.6% of Cambodian people support the promotion of local products.
4. 73.8% of Cambodian people believed that the border disputes were provoked by the Thai military, and 23.1% believed that they were provoked by extremist Thai nationalists. Notably, Cambodian people believed that the government of Thailand has little power in governing the state of Thailand.
5. In response to the measures to put the armed forces on full alert 24 hours a day, 95.8% of Cambodian people support the national defence cause of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) in preparing to defend and respond to the invasion from Thai military.
“Based on the above opinion survey, AVI can conclude that the Royal Cambodian Government possesses independence, sovereignty, ownership and mature political experience, with a comprehensive, in-depth and far-sighted strategy in resolving the border area disputes with Thailand,” said AVI.
“In addition, the Cambodian people generally support and join hand with the government in taking action to resolve the border area disputes with Thailand by receiving clear, accurate and solid information and explanations from Cambodian leaders. In this connection, Cambodia chooses a peaceful solution based on international law, particularly through the mechanism of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), to maintain peace, friendship and good cooperation neighbouring countries for the concrete tangible benefits of the two people of Cambodia and Thailand,” added the report.
