On the 28th of May, a routine border patrol between Thailand and Cambodia turned deadly. The exchange of fire near the sacred Preah Vihear temple, lasting ten minutes, may seem like just another regional skirmish. However, in reality, the situation represents a far more complex dynamic, one that collides nationalism, memory, colonial borders, and contested sovereignty that continues to unravel communities across the Global South; particularly formerly colonised nations. 

While Cambodia asserts defence and Thailand claims trespass, the crucial question transcends politics: how much longer will the people of this region pay the price for borders never drawn to serve them?

The temple at the heart of this conflict is no ordinary site. Preah Vihear, a 9th-12th century Khmer Empire dedication to Shiva, a prominent god in Hinduism, boasting architecture so exceptional it arguably surpasses even Angkor Wat. Perched atop the Dângrêk Mountains, its panoramic views were meant to symbolise a profound spiritual link between heaven and earth. Yet, since the 20th century, this sacred meaning has been perversely politicised, caught between aggressive narratives of national pride.

Despite the International Court of Justice (ICJ) unequivocally ruling in 1962 that the temple belongs to Cambodia, and again in 2013 reaffirming Cambodian sovereignty over the surrounding land, many in Thailand reject these decisions. This persistent defiance, despite formal legal proceedings, ensures the region remains a zone of friction revealing how unresolved history and nationalist sentiment can ignite violence with alarming ease.

This conflict isn’t an isolated incident; it’s just one of countless scars from arbitrary colonial map-making. Across the global south, from the family-disrupting borders of Lesotho and South Africa to the volatile lines in Kashmir between India and Pakistan, and between Rwanda and the DRC; we see nations grappling with inherited disputes that blur the sacred and the sovereign.  Even in the 20th century, a highly televised and symbolic example was the Berlin Wall and its collapse in 1989. 

The Berlin Wall’s fall was a historic moment, exposing how these man-made, imperial divisions continue to fracture societies, divide families, disrupt trade, stifle cultural expression, and transform places of unity into battlegrounds. As Thai and Cambodian commanders negotiate ceasefires, a profound question lingers, what if this entire region could be shared and celebrated, rather than eternally contested?

The recent clash is also linked to Thailand’s internal political tensions. The return of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, now facing charges under strict lese-majesté and Computer Crime Acts for alleged remarks deemed insulting towards the monarchy, has intensified political polarisation. This may explain the rise in nationalist rhetoric, and the incident’s timing appears suspiciously convenient for factions seeking to deflect attention or consolidate influence.

When colonial empires carved up the global south, often with no understanding of local languages, cultures, or histories they created borders for their benefit to extend power and control. Communities that once shared land, language, and lineage were suddenly split apart. The Preah Vihear temple is just one among thousands of sites now weaponised by states clinging to boundaries they never chose, but were forced to inherit.

And now, as Thailand and Cambodia slash each other’s visa-free entry periods to just seven days- from 60 days for Thais and 30 for Cambodians (by land)- a move that affects traders, workers, students, and families, who suffers most? Not the politicians, rather the general population who may regularly cross these artificial lines for numerous reasons whether it be the pursuit of love, food, work, or exploration.

What’s happening in Southeast Asia is part of a global pattern. Currently in Los Angeles, migrant communities are protesting against intensified immigration enforcement and deportation raids carried out by ICE. The very same America that brands itself the ‘land of immigrants’ is now criminalising the very people it once relied on to build its economy, culture, and strength. A characteristic extremely emphasised widespread globally. Children are being separated from their parents, workers are denied fair wages, and people are deported to countries they haven’t seen since infancy or at all.

A global wave of nationalism and anti-immigrant sentiment is gripping the world, fueled by a manipulated fear of ‘the other’, cultural dilution, and loss of societal standing. This fear is turning into hate with devastating consequences. We’re witnessing the rise of narrow, inward-looking ideologies that dangerously ignore the historical truth: nations have always been built by movement and exchange. Migrants are not burdens; they are the teachers, nurses, vendors, and scholars who sustain our cities.

This surge in nationalist policies and border restrictions isn’t a sign of strength, but of profound insecurity. It reveals a need to confront colonial legacies and an unwillingness to envision an inclusive future. It offers only the illusion of safety through walls, papers, and passports. What occurred at Preah Vihear is merely a symptom of a deeper, more widespread issue. Unless we confront this underlying problem, history will tragically repeat itself, bringing more borders, more bullets, and more broken families.

By: Banthati Sekwala

Associate at BRICS+ Consulting Group

Egyptian & South African Specialist

**The Views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of Independent Media or IOL.

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