Cambodia is the oldest kingdom housing mostly the Austroasiatic ethnic including Khmer mainly, Mon, Khmu, Lawa and mountain tribes like Bunong and Chong in the mainland Southeast Asia starting from Pre-historical Funan (Phnom Kingdom-Kambuja Sovarnnabhumi), Chenla (Kambujadesa) to current Cambodia. The most powerful trade port of O Ceo (O Keo in Khmer) of Funan was so famous worldwide to trade with Roman, Persian, Jin (China), Java and other kingdoms in the region. Cambodia used to become the great Khmer empire at the peak of Cambodia history controlled over the vast land area more than 1 million square kilometer covering currently whole part of Cambodia, half of middle to south Vietnam including the former Champa Kingdom, mostly Laos and Thailand and South of of China and Myanmar over Mon Kingdom; the central citizen and court is Khmer People controlled over other ethnics such as Mon, Khmu, Lawa, Lao, Cham people and some tribes of Tai-Kadai in the north near currently Vietnam and China.
In 13th century, Khmer Empire started to weaken due to the invasion from Mongol Empire on the Khmer Empire in the north and former Champa Kingdom under Khmer control. Also, there was the natural disaster of long drought and big flood in some areas of the country; Khmer Kings and his royal families got into the conflict of the Hindu (Siva) and Buddhism (Tantra Mahayana) giving the opportunity to Tai-Kadai and Lao subordinate leaders under Khmer central court to protest and gained independence in the area that Khmer King assigned them. Several kingdoms arised such as Lanna Kingdom (Lao), Lanchang Kingdom (Lao), Champa Kingdom (Cham), Haripunchai Kingdom (Mon) and Sokhothai Kingdom (Tai Siam). There was chaos in Yasodharapura Royal Capital to fight those rebellions at the same time and burden of the large stone temples caused economic down.
In 14th century, Ayudhya City (the current central Thailand) of Khmer Royal Families separated from Khmer Empire to establish the independent Lavo Kingdom with capital in Ayudhya. They also started attacking Khmer Empire to regain more power in the region instead of Khmer King in the Yasodharapura of Khmer Empire. Lastly, Ayudhya troops succesfully sacked Yasodharapura Capital of Khmer Empire three times and evacuated all Khmer people and all valuable property (gold and ancient Khmer script documents) in the capital to Ayudhya Capital; that was the ending point of Khmer Empire. It should be noted that Ayudhya capital of Lavo Kingdom under Khmer Royal Families controlled only a short period of time and Tai Siam stole their kingship over Ayudhya Capital and replaced Siam people as the main people of Ayudhaya Kingdom instead of Khmer people. After that, Siam Ayudhaya Kingdom always tried to grab the remaining area of Cambodia, but was beaten by Burma and Khmer Longvek troops. Khmer Kingdom (Cambodia) only survived at the short of time and recovered in the golden age of the international trade again during Longvek Capital era. Sadly, Siam attacked Longvek capital again in the late 16th century.
Khmer Cambodia Kingdom was weaken again and again from the attack of Siam and new enemy of the east, Viet tribe after they attacked Champa kingdoms several times. Khmer King tried to survive by depending on one side of Siam or Viet to attack each other in Cambodia to delay the time. During that Siam started to use their power on Khmer King to control over the northwest of Cambodia (Inner Cambodia) and Viet to slowly control over South Cambodia (Kampuchea Krom known as Cochin China during French colonialism) and turtured millions of Khmer Krom people.
Until French colonialized Cambodia to make it stable, but financially crisis for Khmer family to get burdens of taxation. There was the key points of French colonialism done in Cambodia such as Cambodia gained her some land areas from Thailand over the northeast of Cambodia and loss of South Cambodia (Khmer Kambuja Krom) to Vietnam. That also brought to the current conflict border between Cambodia and Siam (Today Thailand) that Thai people never mishope to regain control over the Cambodia border land that they used to controlled before French colonialism; Siam used to cooperate with Japan to gain control over some part of Cambodia land, but returned back during Japan lost in World War II.
Today, Siam (Thailand) tried to gain much as possible by using the different map from Franco - Siam treaty 1907. Siam is mapping based on 1:50000 drawn by American troops unofficially while Cambodia still claims the map base 1:200000 from Franco-Siam treaty. Siam never wishes to deal with Cambodia in the international court of justice, but they thought that bilateral discussion with Cambodia will let them use the map 1:50000 to gain control over the 3 Khmer ancient temples and some land area on the Cambodia land close to border. Unfortunately, Cambodia refused on that to protect the Khmer remaining territory, especially 3 ancient Khmer temples such Ta Krobey Temple (Thai called Ta Khwai), Tamon Toch Temple and Tamon Thom Temple and brought this case to the ICJ, but Thailand refuse to cooperate and reject ICJ authority and decision.
Currently, some Thai nationalists and troops still eagers to control those temples forcely, but Cambodia is waiting from ICJ decision and ASEAN-China to come in stop Thai greed.
I hope Cambodia will get their full right over her land and Thai troops withdraw from those temples based on the international law and recognized Franco-Siam treaty in 1907.
