Cambodian Information Minister Shares 'Elephant to Mosquito' Diplomacy Lessons with Thailand

Cambodian Minister of Information Net Pheaktra has shared valuable lessons and experiences from the late Deputy Prime Minister Sok An regarding diplomatic strategies, language use, and narrative construction in relations with Thailand, particularly on border issues. In a post on his Facebook page, Minister Net Pheaktra highlighted a saying from Sok An, who had extensive experience in diplomacy and resolving border issues with Thailand: "Thai diplomats can turn an elephant into a mosquito, and a mosquito into an elephant." The minister explained that this saying reminds us of the power of language, the interpretation of events, and the creation of narratives in diplomacy. He noted that a major mistake can be minimized to appear trivial, while a small incident can be exaggerated to attract public and international attention, or intentionally distorted to create pretexts and provoke trouble. He emphasized that this is a lesson about communication strategy and not a judgment on all Thai diplomats. According to Minister Net Pheaktra, this saying holds particular significance in the context of the current Cambodia-Thailand border conflict, where Thai forces have allegedly occupied positions within Cambodian sovereign territory, placing container barriers and barbed wire, and actively changing the de facto situation on the ground. Despite Cambodia's official diplomatic protests and compilation of evidence, the Thai side reportedly denies accusations of illegal occupation, even when violating laws. Furthermore, the Thai side has raised the issue of landmines that injured their soldiers, accusing Cambodia of planting them after their staged incident. Minister Net Pheaktra countered that this is a tactic to create a story, ignoring the dropping of MK82 and MK84 bombs that destroyed pagodas, schools, and roads, and forgetting the daily illegal invasions and violations of Cambodian sovereignty by their military. Minister Net Pheaktra added that Sok An's experience in matters related to Preah Vihear Temple serves as a reminder of the importance of historical documents, evidence, international law, and peaceful conflict resolution mechanisms. The key lesson is not to let narratives replace facts, and not to let the loudest voice determine what is right or wrong. He stressed that truth must be proven by evidence, and sovereignty should be determined by law, not by propaganda or unilateral creation of new situations. In conclusion, the minister emphasized that in diplomacy and information warfare, interpretations can make big things look small and small things look big, but they cannot change what has happened or determine sovereignty in place of law. He stated, "An elephant remains an elephant, and a mosquito remains a mosquito. The Prime Minister's words can change perceptions, but they cannot change facts. Facts must be proven by evidence, and borders must be defined by law, not by propaganda or military force." Information source: Kampuchea Thmey Local