Put down the gun(s) and we'll talk

As if things weren't bad enough, Thailand and Cambodia have been shooting at each other for four days, it turns out, over a few disputed hectares of border land.

It's on the edge of the two countries (14° 0'30.89"N by 104°50'43.66"E,) and has had its ownership (or at least that of an important temple site) decided in favor of Cambodia already. But that hasn't kept the two parties from exercising their rights to keep and bear and fire arms.

England and Scotland, prior to the unification of the two kingdoms had this kind of thing goin' on, on the west end of the border; the semi-island, between the Esk and the Sark rivers, was called "The Debatable Land," and bandits from both sides used it as a hiding place and staging area for raids on enemies, friends, family, and essentially anyone who had a cow or two to be stolen. Don't know if that's why our southeast Asian friends are having at each other -- the yellow shirt party in Thailand seems to be blaming one of their politicians for stirring up trouble, or, now that I look at the article again, maybe not stirring up enough trouble...? Anyway, who knew?

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Things have cooled down, apparently, at least for the moment.