M y eyes are brimming with tears upon reading this beautiful letter written by a young Cambodian student to me, partly wondering what more we can do amidst the continuation of this needless war between our two countries nearing its second week now. All is not lost, perhaps. Let us, Thais and Cambodians who stand for peace, double our efforts.
Here’s the letter, with her name removed for her safety.
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Hello Mr. Rojanaphruk,
I hope you’re doing well! My name is ….., a Cambodian student who is passionate about Journalism. I just wanted to write to you expressing my deep appreciation for your coverage of the ongoing Thailand-Cambodia border conflict.
I’ve been following the conflict closely ever since the first flare-up in July, constantly reading news that has left me constantly worried for the sake of the citizens on both sides. Reading about bombings, air strikes, and displacement isn’t particularly good for your soul. This conflict has been especially eye-opening to me, especially as a young Cambodian, in the sense that I’ve truly realised that information CAN be subjective at times depending on how you frame it.
Amidst all the nationalistic rhetoric and biased news coverage from both sides, I found your articles extremely informative and deeply introspective. Many news articles from either Cambodia or Thailand usually push their own nationalistic agenda and international news coverage such as articles from Reuters or the Associated Press, although mostly unbiased, don’t go in depth enough and lack regional complexity (this by no means indicates that I am downplaying the usefulness of impartial coverage from these publications especially of an ongoing conflict).
But your opinion pieces cover these topics with such nuance and care, making sure that both perspectives are addressed properly. I especially enjoyed your article titled “Time to Face the Ugly Truth about the Deep Underlying Conflict Between Thailand and Cambodia” where you detailed the historical biases that led to growing tensions and ill-tempered sentiments between the citizens of Cambodia and Thailand.
I truly wish and hope that this conflict will end. It is heart wrenching seeing displaced citizens on both sides suffering because of their respective governments. War is never the right answer and we should always uphold peace. So thank you Mr. Rojanaphruk, for upholding peace with your words. It truly means a lot to me.
Warmest Regards,
….
And here is my reply to her:
Dear Miss …
Thank you so much for your very kind letter which touched me deeply. I will continue to do what I can to play a tiny part in forging a better understanding between our two nations and for peace. It’s best for both Thailand and Cambodia to be neighbours rather than enemies.
Let us do whatever we can to work toward that goal.
Best regards,
Pravit
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