Thai Military Rejects Angelina Jolie's Comments on Cambodia Border Conflict

A sympathetic message from Hollywood star Angelina Jolie about the fate of displaced Cambodian civilians has drawn a predictable response from the Thai military, with a spokesperson claiming her comments were "one sided" in the latest example of what prominent Cambodian analysts are calling Thailand’s “reject and deny” strategy. On July 24, the one-year anniversary of the start of the border conflict, Jolie took to Instagram to share her sadness that the conflict had upended the safety and stability of so many, with nearly 30,000 still internally displaced and unable to return home. Describing Cambodia as a special country to her and her family, she explained that the Maddox Foundation, named after her son, is headquartered on the same border where the recent conflict took place. “When the fighting broke out last year, we had to evacuate our staff and their families — a painful reminder of just how quickly conflict can return. I love this country and its resilient, warm people. While we’re grateful to have resumed our work protecting the land and supporting the community’s health and livelihoods, my heart is with everyone still waiting to come home,” she wrote. Prapas Sonjaidee, spokesperson for the Thai Air Force, claimed that Jolie’s comments were one-sided, with Thai influencer Wassana Nanuam going even further, accusing her of being used as a tool to spread misinformation. Sonjaidee also claimed that Thailand has fully respected the December 27 Joint Statement which accompanied the ceasefire that ended the fighting. Despite his insistence, Thailand has continued to delay the work of the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC), which is essential to border demarcation work. At least one leading social analyst appeared to have lost patience with Thailand’s attempts to alter the narrative in their favour. “It is almost their culture to deny and reject the truth and create scenes and scenarios to deceive the world. They constantly try to exaggerate the facts and slander Cambodia for their own benefit,” said Kin Phea, director of the International Relations Institute at the Royal Academy of Cambodia. “Angelina Jolie’s sensational message shows the truth from Cambodia from the perspective of a globally well-known figure. If Thais accused her of spreading false information, we should ask ourselves; does she get anything from this? The answer is no,” he said. Phea saw the Thai rejection as a denial of the truth, facts, integrity and justice for Cambodia. He believed that the world is not easily fooled by Thailand. “For now, I believe that the world understands, if not completely, the deceitful scenario of Thailand as well as their slander and scapegoating of Cambodia. I strongly believe that justice, integrity and peace will finally prevail,” he added. Geopolitical analyst Gnel Rattha believed the Thai official’s reaction to Jolie was just “an attempt to offer an excuse” and reiterated that the Thais are violating international law and will not succeed in holding Cambodian territory. “What they are trying to do is set a pro-Thai narrative, and something like is normally clearly planned,” he said. He believed that Thailand is taking a four-step approach at swaying international public opinion. “Firstly, they keep denying that they have encroached on Cambodian territory. So, their reaction to Jolie’s message was intended to add more weight to their previous claims and defend their occupation. Secondly, they want to win international public opinion by countering statements made by popular figures or on the international stage by accusing the other side of spreading incomplete information,” said Rattha. He added that Thailand denied the facts in order to strengthen their demands for bilateral negotiations to solve the issue. They want to convince the world that only bilateral negotiations will end the conflict, not international pressure. “Their final intentional is to counter influence from well-known figures. So, when they react to messages like that of Jolie, they try to convince the world to believe what they are doing at the borders is legitimate, while the fact is that it is not,” he added.