Government” may remain trusted,” according to the university professor.
PUBLISHED: 7 Dec 2024 at 05: 25
According to Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, the government has acknowledged that the formation of a Joint Technical Committee (JTC ) to negotiate with Cambodia over disputed maritime areas has not made any progress and is still in the development.
According to Mr. Phumtham, who is also the defense minister, progress has been made in setting up a JTC for Thai-Cambodian negotiations under the 2001 Thai-Cambodian Memorandum of Understanding ( MoU 44 ), which acts as a framework for discussions about Thailand and Cambodia’s overlapping claims to the continental shelf.
He acknowledged that there hasn’t been any progress so far because conversations are raging about the upcoming steps. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is in charge of this issue, and a pantry appointment is yet to be scheduled for when.
When questioned about reports that Thai Prime Minister Hun Manet claimed that Koh Kut’s equity has not yet been settled and that Thailand and Cambodia share a mutual understanding, he reiterated Thailand’s unwavering commitment to Koh Kut’s right to remain in Thailand.
” It is essential to review the facts carefully before making any claims”, he said.
However, Harirak Sutabutr, former dean of Thammasat University, posted his view on MoU on his Instagram account on Friday. He claimed that the MoU offers advantages, particularly as a buffer against some concerns and a platform for intergovernmental negotiations.
In particular, the MoU makes it clear that border agreements and the profit-diversification of petroleum sources may be carried out independently.
” So, what former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra proposed– negotiating a 50: 50 profit-sharing agreement between the two nations without addressing limit issues– is unattainable”, he said.
He claimed that the frightening aspect of signing the MoU is that both parties are aware of or acknowledge the outcomes of the two nations ‘ distinct says. The Thai part may assert that Thailand was aware of the various territorial areas, leading to overlapped claimed areas, but never objected if the limit problem may be resolved and the subject is brought before the International Court of Justice in the future. Thus, Cambodia may use this matter to its edge in a court case, he said.
” Whether the present state can be trusted is even more worrying than the MoU itself. Can we trust that this state will make every effort to safeguard the Koh Kut and other Thai lands that have already been ordered by HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great? he asked.
” We cannot believe this authorities at all”, he said.