Tour intended to proclaim say in a dispute
PUBLISHED: 8 Nov 2024 at 04: 45
In light of the ongoing sea territory debate with Cambodia, Phumtham Wechayachai, the defense minister, will travel to Koh Kut in Trat on Saturday to reaffirm Thailand’s regional authority over the area.
Mr. Phumtham, who is also a deputy prime minister, promised to lead a delegation to examine the island and raise morale among the island’s soldiers who patrol the Thai-Cambodian border.
The Defence Ministry’s permanent minister and secretary-general, as well as the Royal Thai Navy chief-of-staff, may also join the group, he said.
” We will go there to establish Thailand’s sovereignty over Koh Kut and increase confidence among local people”, he said.
When asked about the establishment of a Joint Technical Committee (JTC ) to negotiate the maritime claims made by both countries, Mr. Phumtham stated that the Foreign Affairs Ministry was in charge of this matter and would soon make recommendations to the cabinet.
The JTC should be established in the next two weeks, according to Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra before. On the basis of the memorandum of understanding signed by the two nations in 2001, the committee will resume discussions with Cambodia regarding the Overlapping Claims Area ( OCA ).
The energy-rich OCA, which extends over 26, 000 sq kilometers in the Gulf of Thailand, is both under the control of Thailand and Cambodia.
Cambodia made its first state in 1972, which Thailand rejected. The next year, Thailand made its suit.
The committee, which will be led by a deputy prime minister in charge of regional security, may include members from the Council of the State, the Defense, Energy, Foreign and Finance ministries, and other important organizations, according to Mr. Phumtham’s statement on Thursday.
Two more departments will also be formed to help with the conversations, Mr Phumtham said.
” I hope that the government’s work relating to the overlapping says area will help clean the air”, he said.
When asked about the state that Thailand lost autonomy over the area when it signed the 2001 MoU with Cambodia, Mr Phumtham said the “false information” was politically motivated.
” The area has been a piece of Thailand’s place for a long time”, he said.
Mr. Phumtham responded to critics who are urging the government to rescind the 2001 MoU because it is thought to be the best place to discuss and discuss the maritime borders between the nations.
The government made the calls as it announced its intention to begin discussions with Cambodia regarding the OCA.
Paiboon Nititawan, secretary-general of the Palang Pracharath Party ( PPRP ), said on Thursday that party leader Gen Prawit Wongsuwon has instructed the party’s MPs to push for the revocation of the 2001 MoU” to protect Thailand’s maritime sovereignty”.
In 2001, when the Thaksin Shinawatra leadership was in power, the two nations signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly develop portions of the OCA and mark a maritime borders.
The maritime boundary separation and shared creation must be carried out as an “indivisible package,” with a Thailand-Cambodia JTC set up to examine them under the MoU.
Numerous rounds of discussions have been held since, but there has not been any development, primarily because of the debate over the coastal wall’s demarcation.
After spectators made the point that Thailand could lose its independence over Koh Kut if the 2001 MoU is used as the framework for discussions involving the OCA, Thailand could lose it.