A former Thai Muay Thai athlete has come below intense public scrutiny after a video surfaced of him slapping a Cambodian employee in Thailand. The incident occurred shortly after lethal border clashes between Thai and Cambodian forces, which left no less than a number of Thai nationals lifeless and heightened tensions alongside the shared frontier.
Video: Former Muay Thai Fighter Condemned for Assaulting Cambodian Man Throughout Rising Tensions
On July 24, Thailand’s Ministry of Public Well being confirmed that 12 residents, together with a 15-year-old boy and a Thai soldier, had been killed throughout a sequence of assaults believed to be intentionally aimed toward civilian and medical places in Surin and Sisaket provinces. The strikes, allegedly carried out by the Cambodian navy, focused a hospital and close by residential areas, leading to widespread condemnation from the Thai public and authorities authorities.
Military officers accused the Cambodian forces of deliberately harming civilians reasonably than participating with navy personnel. The occasions shortly triggered a wave of anger, with many Thai residents questioning the humanity of these accountable and expressing sorrow for the victims.
In opposition to this backdrop of grief and anger, some voices on social media started calling for retaliation in opposition to Cambodian nationals residing in Thailand. Calls ranged from appeals for police motion in opposition to undocumented employees to extra excessive ideas focusing on harmless Cambodians.
Amid this heated local weather, consideration turned to a Thai ex-fighter whose identification has not but been publicly disclosed. The previous athlete posted a video on social media exhibiting his confrontation with three Cambodian employees at a neighborhood recent market. The footage depicts the ex-boxer urging one employee to talk out in opposition to the violence perpetrated by Cambodian troops; the person agreed with out hesitation.
Nevertheless, when one other employee did not ship a verbal condemnation, as a substitute merely smiling on the digital camera, the previous Muay Thai fighter slapped him throughout the face. The athlete warned on digital camera, “To these Cambodian troopers who assault harmless Thai individuals, you won’t get in hassle, however your fellow countrymen will.”
The video shortly gained traction on-line, fueling a robust backlash from Thai individuals who criticized the previous athlete’s actions. Many argued that such habits solely served to stir up xenophobia and undermine neighborhood security. Commentators burdened that particular person acts of violence and intimidation mustn’t substitute authorized or diplomatic decision, warning that retaliatory assaults inside Thailand might endanger Thai nationals residing and dealing in Cambodia.
Whereas some Thai individuals sympathized with the anger felt by victims’ households, the prevailing sentiment was one in all condemnation towards vigilantism. Observers expressed concern that additional such incidents might immediate a harmful cycle of reprisal, each inside Thailand and throughout the border.
