Thaksin, Hun Sen rumours false: administration
The state refutes states that former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and former Cambodian president Hun Sen had a secret agreement regarding the development of disputed sea regions in the Gulf of Thailand.
Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai told press on Monday:” There is no such bargain either. How is it possible for someone without an established position to achieve anything?
He said the Joint Technical Committee]JTC ] has yet to be formed to discuss the overlapping claims area ( OCA ) under the 2001 memorandum of understanding ( MoU).
According to Mr. Phumtham, who also serves as a deputy prime minister, when Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra travels to Thailand on November 18 for the Apec conference in Peru, which is scheduled for November 10 to 2016, the JTC may become established.
The Geological Department of the Royal Thai Navy, the Council of State, constitutional experts, and other related authorities will all be represented in the JTC, which will be created by the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
The Pheu Thai-led administration’s plan to revitalize conversations with Cambodia has been met with pessimism, mainly due to Thaksin and Hun Sen’s nearby relationship. The contentious MoU was merely raised more recently by Han Sen’s recent trip to Bangkok.
Thaksin even downplayed efforts to link the MoU and his near relationship with Cambodia on Saturday. Because the two issues are distinct, Thaksin argued that they should never become linked.
After the government explained that the OCA negotiations wo n’t have an impact on Thailand’s territorial sovereignty over the island in Trat, Mr. Phumtham added that on Monday, tourism in Koh Kut has returned to normal in recent days.
He claimed that the situation has improved since the government’s assurances, and that hotel reservations on the island have decreased by 30 % since the matter first emerged.
Additionally, Mr. Phumtham added that the people of Koh Kut should be reassured that he was going there on Saturday.
He claimed that local authorities and military personnel are working to defend the island.
A group of government officials from Thailand’s interior minister Anutin Charnvirakul traveled to Koh Kut on Monday to reiterate his authority over the area.
According to him, Koh Kut is a Thai property under the French-Siamese Treaty of 1907.
The Dan Sai and Trat territories were given to Siam as part of the agreement, which included Koh Kut and all islands south of Laem Ling ( Laem Sing ).
He also made it clear that the JTC continues to discuss the OCA limitations with Cambodia using the MoU from 2001.
According to Mr. Anutin, their respective governments must support joint development if both sides can come to a compromise and agree on it.
We do n’t want to waste time worrying about unanticipated events. According to Mr. Anutin, the state is now focusing on improving the local economy, citing concerns that Thailand may face a possible transfer of control of Koh Kut to Cambodia in the wake of the MoU.
The mineral- and oil-rich OCA, which borders the Gulf of Thailand and covers an area of roughly 26 000 square kilometers, is a joint property of Thailand and Cambodia.
In 2001, the two nations signed an MoU to jointly develop portions of the OCA and mark a nautical border, which was under the control of the Thaksin Shinawatra government.
A Thailand-Cambodia JTC was established at the time that the sea border separation and joint development should get carried out as an “indivisible package.”
Since then, there have been numerous discussions, but none have made any progress, primarily because neither side is willing to accept the other’s regional say.
The MoU from 2001 has received 100, 000 names, and Thai Pakdee Party chair Warong Dechgitvigrom is urging the removal of it along with the Palang Pracharath Party’s chair.