A new survey released by the Asian Vision Institute, or AVI, finds that a vast majority of Cambodians support the government’s handling of tensions along the country’s border with Thailand, with 95 percent expressing approval for the military’s actions taken in the name of national defense.
According to a press release issued on June 18, AVI conducted the public opinion poll to gauge Cambodian perspectives on the ongoing border dispute with Thailand. The study aimed to assess public sentiment toward the government’s approach to resolving the issue.
The institute surveyed 1,588 Cambodian citizens from a variety of age groups and backgrounds. Data was collected through both online platforms and face-to-face interviews.
Of those surveyed, 93 percent said they were satisfied with the government’s overall handling of the border tensions. Meanwhile, 99 percent voiced support for Cambodia’s position regarding the disputed area around the ancient temples of Phnom Bai, Ta Moan Thom, Ta Moan Toch, and Ta Krabey. That support was specifically tied to efforts to resolve the dispute through the International Court of Justice.
In addition, the poll found that 95.5 percent of respondents endorsed the military’s readiness posture, citing the importance of preemptive national defense in case of further Thai military encroachment.
While 29 percent of those surveyed saw value in bilateral negotiations when linked to the ICJ process, only a small fraction, just 1.1 percent, said they had confidence in bilateral mechanisms alone to settle the dispute.
The poll results come amid renewed military and diplomatic tensions between the two Southeast Asian neighbors.
