Government willing to explain agreement’s benefits

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra insists that the government is ready to explain its decision to back a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Thailand and Cambodia on both countries’ overlapping maritime claims in the Gulf of Thailand.
A joint technical committee (JTC) is expected to be formed this month, she said.
Ms Paetongtarn on Friday responded to a petition submitted by Dr Warong Dechgitvigrom, chief adviser of the Thai Pakdee Party, and a group of nationalists, calling for the scrapping of the MoU.
The petition was received by Sompas Nilphan, a management adviser to the permanent secretary of the PM’s Office.
Dr Warong said the petition calls for the cancellation of the 2001 Thai-Cambodian Memorandum of Understanding (MoU 44), which serves as a framework for talks on the overlapping continental shelf claims between Thailand and Cambodia.
The cancellation would protect Thai maritime territory and national resources, he said.
Negotiations should only be supported if they are based on international law, the group said in the petition.
The group accused Cambodia of arbitrarily drawing maritime boundaries, demanding that the government in Phnom Penh fully comply with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982 treaty first.
The petition calls on the Thai government not to agree to share the benefits from maritime energy exploration in the disputed area, as this would lead to Thailand losing its maritime territory, it said.
Dr Warong said that the previous JTCs had been ineffective and accused the current government of always conceding to Cambodia.
He also challenged the government to a public debate, saying its one-sided narrative has caused confusion.
Responding to Dr Warong’s petition, Ms Paetongtarn said: “We did not share areas, but we share common interests in terms of natural gas.”
“If no one steps back, sharing benefits is a key solution we need to discuss based on the MoU,” Ms Paetongtarn said.
She also questioned the petitioners’ reasons for wanting to revoke the MoU.
She stressed that the government is ready to hold discussions and provide the necessary explanations regarding the matter, adding that a new JTC will be formed this month.