Drums of war beating again in S.E. Asia

I'm taking a look at the new Thai/Cambodia conflict, 50+ years after Vietnam.

Cambodian soldiers reload a multiple rocket launcher in Preah Vihear province on the Thai border.

As an anti-Vietnam War activist in the ‘60s, I witnessed the machinery of empire firsthand. That war was neither a tragic blunder nor a noble miscalculation. It was a deliberate assertion of U.S. imperial power in Southeast Asia, fueled by the logic of Cold War containment, and maintained through militarism and racism.

Millions in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia died as a result. Thailand was a U.S. ally. The scale of U.S. bombing in Cambodia and Laos during the Vietnam War is almost unfathomable—both countries were subjected to some of the most intense aerial bombardments in history.

More than fifty years later, as the Thai-Cambodian border has once again erupted into violent clashes near Preah Vihear and Ta Muen Thom. I worry that history is whispering through the artillery shelling.

This July’s standoff between Cambodia and Thailand is, on its face, a dispute about ancient temples and disputed borders. But beneath the surface lies a more fundamental contradiction. While there are as yet no reported U.S. combat troops involved in the war, I can’t imagine that the U.S. is sitting on its bloody hands.

The United States, long the architect of global [dis]order, now finds itself adrift in a world it can no longer dominate. Its imperial reach, traditionally enforced through military bases and the CIA’s covert operations, is being challenged by a growing chorus of nations, especially in the Global South.

After its costly and protracted military engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan, Washington began a deliberate “Pivot to Asia,” identifying China as its primary economic and military enemy. Rather than pursuing a nuanced strategy of competitive coexistence, the United States, under Obama, Biden, and now Trump, has adopted an all-out containment doctrine aimed squarely at China—militarily, economically, and diplomatically.

Where do Thailand and Cambodia fit in?

Cambodia has long-standing economic and political ties with China. It is one of over 140 countries that have signed on to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which spans every continent except North America. As of early 2024, BRI countries, including China, represent nearly 75% of the world’s population.

Thailand, meanwhile, remains a major non-NATO ally of the United States, deeply embedded in American defense networks, hosting joint military drills, acquiring U.S. fighter jets and vehicles, and receiving over $3 billion in U.S. military assistance. However, Thailand’s own deepening ties with China and its recent move toward BRICS+ membership have complicated its relationship with the Trump administration.

The Thai government is now walking a tightrope: trying to maintain U.S. ties while embracing a multipolar future. Thai exports to the U.S. now face steep tariffs, prompting Bangkok to seek new markets and restructure trade policy. Trump’s tariffs are a clear signal that Washington views Thailand’s pivot as a threat.

Cambodia’s role as a close ally of China is clear. Thailand, by contrast, still embodies the U.S. defense-first approach—militarized alignment, joint intelligence operations, and strategic access points across the Indo-Pacific.

What’s now unfolding at Preah Vihear isn’t just a border standoff. It’s the ground-level test once again for U.S. imperial power in the region, similar to the recent border clashes between India and Pakistan.

Memory as Warning

In the early 1960s, U.S. military “advisors” arrived before escalation. Covert support preceded open warfare. Denial and diplomacy masked the drums of empire. Today’s conflict isn’t yet Vietnam redux. But its architecture is all too familiar: A regional dispute, layered with global stakes. Hopefully, it can be resolved through peace talks between the two countries without foreign military intervention.

To today’s organizers, journalists, and voters: This is not a distant conflict. It is a reflection of how the empire adapts, how militarism shifts between soft and hard power, and how war strategies masquerade as diplomacy.