Abhisit Vejjajiva attempting to rally nationalist sympathy with Preah Vihear temple dispute before Sunday's polls, say analysts
Friday 1 July 2011
Tania Branigan in Srisaket, Thailand
guardian.co.uk
The corrugated roof gleams, the paintwork is bright and pink-flowered curtains float at the windows. Somrith Sanbradap's house was completed just two days ago, but she shows no sign of pleasure in the achievement.
The Thai farmer's last home went up in flames in February, destroyed by Cambodian shelling as a long dispute over Preah Vihear – the 11th-century temple a few kilometres away – flared up again. At least seven people died and thousands fled homes on both sides of the border. Now residents fear another clash is imminent.
"I lost everything … I don't want this to happen again and the way things are going now, watching the news brings back very bad memories," Somrith said tearfully.
This week, the Thai military said Cambodia was moving in reinforcements – a claim denied by Phnom Penh – after Bangkok announced it was leaving the World Heritage Convention over the dispute.
But analysts believe the row is driven by Sunday's general election in Thailand. "In this very critical week for Thai politics, [the temple dispute] has appeared again as a political weapon," said Dr Pavin Chachavalpongpun of the Institute of South-East Asian Studies in Singapore.
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