The Washington Post reports at least one and at most four casualties in a skirmish that included exchange of gunfire on Saturday. Thousands have left the area and ancient relics were damaged. The Washington Post suggests that all-out war is unlikely.
Tensions have been building for months over the disputed area. Part of the problem is that the Cambodians burned all of their maps, and thus have a difficult time legitimizing their arguments. Furthermore, the border was initially based on the water table, which has since changed. Both sides have lobbied Internet companies like Google to demarcate online maps as a way to legitimize their claims.
This is a fascinating development in international affairs. Though I am certain it is not the first time this has occurred, it is particularly salient given that a majority of countries’ populations view state-capture by governments as a highly important issue (See Pew Research Global Attitudes Data). Governments rely on companies to legitimize and argue disputes. In many recent instances, companies are the vehicles for citizens to dispute their governments (the Iranian protests come to mind). All the while, smart authoritarian governments, like the Chinese, dedicate ever more resources to managing information and corporations that operate within their borders.
No comments:
Post a Comment