BUDDHIST PEACEMAKING AND POLITICAL SCIENCE STRATEGIES FOR RESOLVING WORLD CONFLICTS

Abstract

This article examines the integration of Buddhist nonviolent principles with political strategies to explore pathways for resolving interstate conflicts, using the 2025 Thailand-Cambodia border dispute as a case study. The case illustrates the complexity of contemporary international relations, where power politics, international law, and national identity interact in contested ways. The study applies key political theories, namely Balance of Power, Liberal Institutionalism, and Constructivism, to explain structural and ideational dynamics, and then connects these perspectives with Buddhist ethical teachings, particularly Saraniyadhamma. This principle emphasizes physical, verbal, and mental goodwill, resource sharing, collective moral discipline, and shared understanding, aiming to build harmony and trust. The findings indicate that political strategies alone can address institutional and structural dimensions of conflict, such as negotiation frameworks, diplomacy, and legal mechanisms, yet they often lack ethical depth needed to reduce prejudice and foster genuine trust. Conversely, reliance solely on Buddhist principles may encourage reconciliation and moral restraint but lacks sufficiently formalized mechanisms for enforcement and implementation. Therefore, integrating both approaches offers a more comprehensive solution. In practice, metta-vaci-kamma, or verbal goodwill, can soften diplomatic rhetoric, sadharana-bhogi, or sharing of resources, can support equitable cross-border cooperation, and ditthisamanyata, or shared views, can promote a collective orientation toward peaceful coexistence. The main contribution of this study lies in proposing a holistic conceptual framework that combines the structural strength of political science with the moral and ethical power of Buddhism. This integrated approach addresses both technical conflict management and relational trust-building, offering a sustainable pathway toward long-term peace. Moreover, the study opens a new dimension in political science by demonstrating that religious ethical principles can be systematically incorporated into modern political analysis and international conflict resolution. This framework encourages scholars and policymakers to rethink security, diplomacy, and cooperation through ethical dialogue, mutual respect, and responsibility across national boundaries.