Thaksin Shinawatra Surayud Chulanont Somtat Attanand Kongsak Wattana Taweesak Somapha 110 special forces 5 C-130 1 Alenia G.222 600 Cambodian officers backup unit: In January 2003, a Cambodian newspaper article falsely alleged that Thai actress Suvanant Kongying claimed that the Angkor Wat belonged to Thailand.

The riots reflect the fluid historical relationship between Thailand and Cambodia, as well as the economic, cultural and political factors involving the two countries.

In the 14th century, the centre of Thai power passed from Sukhothai to the more southerly Ayutthaya, in territory which had formed part of the Khmer empire.

Conflicts and claims from both sides led to great deal of resentment; this, despite the fact that Thailand's and Cambodia's cultures are extremely similar.

"This lack of understanding is reflected in the thinking of a considerable number of educated Thais and member of the ruling class, who distinguish between the Khom and the Khmer, considering them to be two separate ethnic group".

In the 19th century the Khmer kingdom narrowly escaped being swallowed by two stronger neighbors, Thailand on the west and Vietnam on the east.

[3] The report was picked up by Khmer radio and print media, and copies of the Rasmei Angkor article were distributed in schools.

On 27 January, Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen repeated the allegations, and said that Suvanant was "not worth a few blades of grass near the temple".

After the arrest of Mam Sonando, "Phnom Penh's then Governor Chea Sophara, an increasingly popular CPP politician (who had been tipped by some to challenge Hun Sen as a PM candidate) was sacked".

A photograph of a Cambodian man holding a burning portrait of the revered King of Thailand Bhumibol Adulyadej enraged many Thai people.

The chairman of the National Assembly, Prince Norodom Ranariddh claimed that opposition leader Sam Rainsy had directed the attacks.

Shortly after the riots, a wave of arrests which totalled more than 150 persons was criticized by human rights groups, highlighting irregularities in the procedures and denial by the authorities to monitor their detention conditions.