What if you take away the slingshot?
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A Cambodian soldier, who had been captured by Thai soldiers in July, hugs his daughter as he arrives with other released soldiers in Phnom Penh on Wednesday. afp
The latest ceasefire in the border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia is welcome news and hopefully signals an end to the displacement of thousands and tragic loss of life on both sides. The release of 18 Cambodian prisoners is an indication that the parties are delving more deeply into the process to resolve the conflict.
It was not surprising, however, that the hasty shotgun marriage memorialised as a "peace deal" in Kuala Lumpur failed. As I have indicated previously in these pages, the accord was destined to crumble because it did nothing to address the conflict's underlying issues.
Thailand came away from those same Asean meetings as a party to a strategic minerals agreement with the United States that was apparently sprung at the last minute. Stakeholders throughout Thailand complained vigorously that there had been no consultation on the sudden agreement and warned of potential ramifications.
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