Reading Cambodia's strategy of playing the "victim" role after victimhood is used as a political instrument. In this conflict, who ends up at a disadvantage?
"I have not seen any country condemn Cambodia for laying landmines in Thai territory. They only urge Thailand to reduce weapon use and violence," said Gen. Natthaphon Nakpanich, Minister of Defense, on 23 Dec 2025 GMT+7.
Meanwhile, Cambodia tries to portray itself as the victim and is pushing to take the issue to international courts. On 24 Dec 2025 GMT+7, Cambodia participated in the GBC secretary-level meeting in Chanthaburi Province to discuss resolving the Thai-Cambodian border dispute; the first day's session concluded within 35 minutes.
In today's world, international conflicts extend beyond military maneuvers or clashes. They clearly expand into "international communication." The words chosen by leaders or state representatives publicly carry weight comparable to battlefield tactics, as they frame global public perception of a situation from the outset, even before on-the-ground facts are fully verified.
The tense situation along the Thailand-Cambodia border exemplifies this clearly. Several clashes in disputed areas were reported continuously by domestic and international media from 24 to 28 July 2025 GMT+7, leading both sides to issue near-simultaneous counter-statements. This drew close international communication scrutiny to the Thai-Cambodian border issue.
Meanwhile, in-depth information from the area is still being gathered and verified. Tensions flared again in early December 2025 GMT+7 with reports of multiple clashes on the night of 7 Dec Thailand time and continuing the next day. Both sides accused the other of initiating the fighting, while empirical facts still require investigation from multiple sources.
From a linguistic perspective, conflict communication scholars note that some Cambodian statements, especially those from the Ministry of Defense spokesperson, use language that evokes sympathy and injustice, such as "sovereignty," "unexpected attack," and "innocent civilians," rather than technical details about the events. This frames the situation primarily through loss and victimhood, a rhetorical strategy states often use to quickly build domestic support and attract international attention.
This strategy is not new in world history. Studies by historians and political scientists show that adopting the "victim" stance is repeatedly used to legitimize political positions when full facts are not yet available. A key example is the Gulf War of 1990–1991, where information about civilian impacts was widely disseminated before later verification revealed some data was politically motivated rather than based on field evidence.
Similarly, during the 1990s Balkan conflicts, emphasizing historical suffering and victim imagery simplified dispute complexities and made political and military actions appear more legitimate to the public.
The 1964 Gulf of Tonkin incident is a classic case study showing how framing an event as an "attack" can shape state decisions and global perceptions before facts are retrospectively examined.
Lessons from these cases reflect that communication can become a battlefield without waiting for military clashes to escalate, underscoring the need to distinguish statements, claims, and verifiable information.
On the other hand, Thailand's communication approach, as reported by domestic and international media, often emphasizes restraint, calls for negotiation mechanisms, and managing the situation through diplomatic frameworks. This does not imply surrender but opens space for fact-finding and diplomacy to reduce risks of escalating violence and civilian impact.
Ultimately, the key lesson is that language and words wield power comparable to weapons. If many countries adopt a rhetorical strategy of being the "victim" before facts are proven, conflicts tend to prolong and become harder to resolve. The world may gradually turn into another communication battlefield, and if all sides play this game, long-term peace may recede further than expected.