Thailand’s location is safe, says leading
According to Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Cambodia has been informed that negotiations over disputed maritime areas will resume following the formation of a joint technical committee (JTC ) by the middle of this month.
During the 8th Greater Mekong Subregion Economic Cooperation Program Summit in Kunming, China, Ms. Paetongtarn claimed to have relayed the message to Thai Prime Minister Hun Manet.
She claimed she informed him that when she leaves Thailand on November 18 from the Apec summit in Peru, which is scheduled for November 10 to 16, the formation of the JTC would be perfect.
” By therefore, the JTC did begin discussions under the MoU”, the prime minister said.
She reiterated that the MoU serves as the main negotiation mechanism for the Overlapping Claims Area ( OCA ), in response to the demands made by the Palang Pracharath Party for the government to revoke it. She claimed that a voluntary withdraw of the MoU by either nation might have a negative impact.
The MoU’s punitive termination could strain ties between the two nations. The two nations should explain and settle their differences”, she said.
Ms. Paetongtarn added that the Chinese prime minister also made pleasant gestures at the conference. ” He said that if Thailand needs any aid from Cambodia, simply letting him know”, she said.
She emphasized that Thailand needs to be made aware that the MoU’s conversations does not result in a negative outcome for Thailand.
” The two places demarcate the OCA separately. That’s why the MoU is needed to live differences”, she said.
In an effort to address concerns that Thailand might lose control of Koh Kut in Trat territory to Cambodia if talks are continued under the MoU, Ms. Paetongtarn stated that Cambodia did not have any issues with Koh Kut and that the only thing that was off the table was when the JTC would be available.
Because both countries have already ratified it, according to Defense Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, the MoU does n’t need to be approved by the next parliament. He continued, adding that only when the two nations reach a fresh treaty should the legislature be approved.
He said that the two nations are working on the delineation of the maritime borders in the disputed place after agreeing to disagree on the unilateral delimitation lines that each has drawn.
But, Chairman of the Thai Pakdee Party, Warong Dechgitvigrom, announced yesterday that the party would collect 100 000 signatures in support of a campaign demanding the end of the MoU from 2001. He argued that until the sea border demarcation is finished, the government could not communicate coastal resources with Cambodia. If Thailand permits the development of coastal resources jointly, it might reduce maritime territory, he claimed.
The OCA, which extends over a total of about 26 000 sq kilometers in the Gulf of Thailand, is both under the control of Thailand and Cambodia. The region is thought to have a lot of fossil fuel sources.
Cambodia made its first say in 1972, which Thailand rejected. The next year, Thailand made its suit.
In 2001, the two nations signed a MoU to jointly develop portions of the OCA and mark a nautical frontier, which was under the control of the Thaksin Shinawatra government. A Thailand-Cambodia JTC set up to examine maritime boundary boundary and joint development must be done in accordance with the MoU’s “indivisible package.” Since then, there have been several discussions, but none have made any progress, primarily due to the debate over the coastal border’s demarcation.