Asean urged to tackle border crisis fuelled by scams, slavery and rising tensions

New Straits Times

6 days ago

TENSIONS are soaring again at the 818km border between Thailand and Cambodia, with reports of gunfire exchanges and aerial surveillance shaking communities on both sides.
While border disputes in the area are nothing new, especially around the Preah Vihear temple, this latest escalation is worrying, not just for Thailand and Cambodia, but for Asean.
Asean was founded on Aug 8, 1967, by Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines and Thailand, with the shared purpose of promoting regional peace, stability and cooperation.
Today, that founding spirit is being tested. But this is no ordinary military flare-up. The current stand-off is aggravated by the entrenchment of criminal economies in the borderlands.
They must be demilitarised and decriminalised (D and D). Towns such as Poipet, O'Smach, and Ban Nong Ian have become synonymous with digital slavery and online scam syndicates.
These centres — operating in defiance of national and international laws — trap thousands of individuals, often migrants or trafficking victims, in enslaved cybercrime.
Underlying this militarised rivalry is a lawless economy that distorts development and destabilises state authority.
The challenge now is twofold: to stop the fighting and to root out the criminal infrastructure sustaining it. Thus, a D and D strategy is key.
Asean's other founding members — Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines and Malaysia — must take the lead in steering the region back toward peace.
While Thailand is directly involved in the border confrontation, the remaining founding members possess both credibility and strategic experience.
Indonesia's track record in Aceh, Singapore's diplomatic steadiness and the Philippines' continued efforts to manage conflict in Mindanao have all contributed to Asean's legacy of peacebuilding.
Malaysia, for its part, has long pursued a policy of a quiet diplomacy in the South China Sea.
It upholds its maritime rights while avoiding provocation and keeping the region free from great-power entrapment.
That same quiet resolve must now be channelled into addressing the Thai-Cambodian border crisis.
The international legal framework must also be respected. Cambodia is a signatory to the Ottawa Treaty banning the use of anti-personnel landmines. Allegations that landmines have been used along the border must be investigated thoroughly.
More urgently, Asean must call for a global crackdown on the scam centres and digital slave-labour operations that have taken root along this frontier and elsewhere in Myanmar and Laos.
These syndicates are integral to the escalation of instability. In many cases, they function with protection from corrupt officials or rogue security elements.
Asean cannot allow parts of its territory to become sanctuaries for such lawlessness.
If anything ASEANPOL, Europol and Interpol must all be permanent fixtures in this region.
This is a regional emergency. Asean must form a high-level task force, with joint investigative and enforcement capacities, to dismantle these criminal economies.
The demilitarisation of the border zones —particularly near the Preah Vihear temple — is equally essential.
The International Court of Justice has ruled twice in favour of Cambodia, in 1962 and again in 2013, on the status of the temple.
These rulings must be respected by both sides. Territorial grievances cannot be allowed to override legal commitments or regional peace.
It is also encouraging that China, Japan and South Korea have called for restraint and dialogue. As key strategic partners of both Thailand and Cambodia, these countries' position remains aligned with Asean's Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, which enshrines negotiation and non-use of force.
Asean must not wait for external powers to stabilise its backyard. This is a moment for regional leadership.
Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines and Malaysia must close ranks, not through public grandstanding, but through active, behind-the-scenes diplomacy.
The mechanisms of peace exist; what is required now is the will to activate them. History reminds us that once conflict ignites between neighbours with long, entangled pasts, it becomes harder to control.
Asean was built to prevent such tragedies. Its founding members must again rise to that responsibility.