Malaysia hosts two rivals caught in a century-old dispute: On the Thai and Cambodian brickbat — Phar Kim Beng

Malay Mail

10 hours ago

AUGUST 5 — Although the latest ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia offers a moment of relief, the roots of their territorial conflict run deep — stretching back more than a century to the 1907 Franco-Siam Treaty.
That agreement, drawn up between France and Siam (Thailand's predecessor), attempted to demarcate boundaries based on colonial-era cartography, primarily relying on the rivers and natural terrain that separated local communities.
At the time, borders were not defined by digital coordinates or satellite images, but by how rivers meandered through mountains, bushlands, and remote hinterlands.
These riverine boundaries served a functional purpose in the early 20th century but were never intended to be permanent, especially not in a region where rivers shift over time due to seasonal floods, erosion, and sediment buildup.
This historical reality has returned with renewed urgency, as the General Border Committee (GBC) between Thailand and Cambodia has now convened to try and resolve the dispute.
The Committee's work is cut out: unless both sides acknowledge the shifting nature of rivers and the evolving grounds on which their maps are based, any legal or political solution will remain brittle.
Cambodia continues to uphold the French-era 1:200,000 scale map from 1907, while Thailand insists on the more precise 1:50,000 version developed by its Royal Survey Department, with technical inputs from the United States.
These incompatible cartographic instruments are more than just maps — they are political declarations of historical legitimacy. Yet, maps drawn in a colonial century cannot anchor peace in the contemporary world unless both sides reconcile their differences.
As the GBC proceeds in earnest between August 4–7 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, it must do more than compare technical data. It must foster mutual recognition that natural borders — particularly rivers — are never static.
People gather at Sisowath Quay riverfront in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, August 1, 2025. — Reuters pic
The notion that mud sediments and altered watercourses can shift the basis of border lines must be internalised by both countries. Without such a pragmatic approach, violations along the contested border will recur time and again, despite diplomatic gestures or ceasefire agreements.
Malaysia's role as host of the ongoing negotiations places it at the centre of ASEAN's peace-building efforts.
As the Chair of ASEAN in 2025, Malaysia is not merely offering a venue. It is offering a vital space for diplomacy, restraint, and forward-looking cooperation.
By bringing Cambodian and Thai officials together in Putrajaya, Malaysia is facilitating more than just talks — it is enabling the region's collective commitment to peace under the ASEAN Treaty of Amity and Cooperation.
This process, however, cannot be rushed. The technical, legal, and emotional layers involved in redrawing or reaffirming national borders require patience, scientific consultation, and political courage.
What matters now is that the GBC meetings stay focused on results: a harmonised understanding of maps, agreement on verification mechanisms, and a joint protocol to prevent and de-escalate future incidents.
The war of maps must not return to a war of bullets.
Malaysia is not just hosting two rivals — it is hosting a historic attempt to end one of ASEAN's oldest bilateral disputes.
The challenge now is to turn this moment of convergence into a blueprint for durable peace. For if this opportunity is squandered, the region risks slipping back into cycles of conflict that no summit or ceasefire can contain.
* Phar Kim Beng PhD is Professor of Asean Studies, International Islamic University of Malaysia and Director of Institute of Internationalisation and Asean Studies (IINTAS).
** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.