2020 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
The Preah Vihear Conflict: Competing Concepts on Sovereign Territory between Siam and France
| Project/Area Number |
18K00993
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| Research Institution | Kyoto University |
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Principal Investigator |
C Pavin 京都大学, 東南アジア地域研究研究所, 准教授 (40646098)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
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| Keywords | Spatial knowledge / Traditional knowledge / Colonial politics / Border dispute / Border demarcation / Concept of sovereignty / Siamese kingdom / Preah Vihear Temple |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
This year, the difficulty is the outbreak of COVID pandemic. Domestic and International travels were forbidden. Hence, the main work was on analyzing archival documents and continuing with literature reviews. I investigated how the diplomatic negotiation in 1907, which gave birth to the Siamese-Franco Treaty in 1907, has over the years sparked border tensions between Thailand and Cambodia over the Preah Vihear Temple. Despite initially accepting the French concept of bounded territory, Siam has continued to claim the ownership of the temple based on the traditional order of statecraft. The inconsistency of Thailand has driven its expansionist desire, backed up by the historical wounds caused by the supposed loss of territory to France, and eventually to Cambodia. History wounds have become embedded in today’s policy towards Cambodia. Whenever relationship between the two countries becomes strained, the urge to claim back “lost territory” immediately rises to the surface. This pattern of conflict, originated in the history of boundary demarcation, is seen in many countries in this part of the world.
The explanation above serves to justify the analysis of the past in order to understand the present. The archival documents and results of the previous workshops made this analysis possible.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
3: Progress in research has been slightly delayed.
Reason
The project has been slightly delayed due to the outbreak of COVID pandemic. Initially, I was supposed to organize a workshop to bring about more findings on the case, but it was unable since the travels were not allowed. Meanwhile, I could not travel to Cambodia, France and the US to gather more information due to the same reason. What I had done in the past year had been to work on archival documents and on library materials. So far, I have been written more than 60 percent of the project. The next coming year, should travels be allowed, will see the completion of my project, with the presentation of final findings and the publication of this research output.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
For the final year, I hope to hold the final workshop in the Preah Vihear province and will involve scholars from Thailand, Cambodia, and France, next year (after travels are allowed again). I also hope that in the final year (extended year), I will be able to return to the US for gathering the final set of declassified documents. But the end goal is the same: there will be two significant outputs as follows:
(a)two sets of papers to be published by peer-reviewed journals
(b)a book on the findings of this research by a university press
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| Causes of Carryover |
Due to COVID, I have carried forward all the fund for the final year to the next fiscal year (2011-2022). I plan to spend the fund for three objectives: travelling (USA, Cambodia and France) for data collecting; organising a conference and purchasing documents from France, UK, USA and Cambodia.
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[Presentation] Thailand2021
Author(s)
Pavin Chachavalpongpun
Organizer
Thailand’s Monarchy, Protests, and the Future of Polarisation
Int'l Joint Research / Invited
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[Presentation] Thailand's Protests2020
Author(s)
Pavin Chachavalpongpun
Organizer
Bridge to Democratic Future: Case Learning from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Thailand’s Social Movement
Int'l Joint Research / Invited
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