Govt to consider revoking MoU with Cambodia

Published: 6/11/2009
Bangkok Post

The cabinet will be asked on Tuesday to revoke a memorandum of understanding on overlapping maritime boundaries in the Gulf of Thailand signed with Cambodia in 2001, Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya (pictured) said on Friday.

The memorandum was signed by then-foreign minister Surakiart Sathirathai and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An on June 14, 2001, during the first Thaksin government.

Mr Kasit said in a phone interview from Japan that it would not be in Thailand's best interests to hold talks with Cambodia under that same framework now that Thaksin was serving as economic adviser to the Cambodian government and personal adviser to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Moreover, no progress had been made in talks with Cambodia during the past eight years.

Thailand would explore other ways of ending the maritime dispute under international law, Mr Kasit said.

Analysts said Mr Hun Sen's favourtism towards Thaksin may be because he wants Thaksin back in power quickly in the hope of grabbing a bigger share of the unexploited oil and gas reserves in the disputed area - resources which were of prime consderation when the MoU was signed.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said the Foreign Ministry had been told to take whatever steps were deemed appropriate in downgrading diplomatic relations with Cambodia to protect the country's interests and defend the judicial system. Cambodia has demeaned the Supreme Court 's sentencing of Thaksin to jail for conflict of interest while prime minister as ''politically motivated''.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said Thailand will downgrade the relations if Phnom Penh continued this uncompromising attitude.

"If Cambodia continues to adopt this hard line, then we must continue to downgrade relations and maybe seal off all border checkpoints," Mr Suthep said.

Mr Suthep said Thailand expected Cambodia to reciprocate, adding: "Thaksin should ask Cambodian authorities to ensure the safety of the Thai embassy and other Thai interests in Cambodia," he said.

The latest conflict reflects an attempt by Thaksin to use Cambodia as a base for a political offensive in a bid to return to power, but the government would not fall into his trip.

"All this is happening because Thaksin is using Cambodia as his base for political operations. As he is a former prime minister he should know what is right or wrong, and should not hurt Thailand the way he is doing," Mr Suthep said.

In 2003, during the Thaksin government, Cambodian protesters set fire to the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh - again after both countries recalled their ambassadors in a diplomatic row.

Mr Suthep said there were no plans for Mr Abhisit to meet Mr Hun Sen when the pair attend the two-day summit of Mekong River basin nations in Tokyo, which began on Friday.

The Cambodian government announced the appointment of Thaksin as economic adviser on state television late Wednesday, almost two weeks after Mr Hun Sen first floated the idea at a summit of Asian leaders.

Democrat Party chief adviser Chuan Leekpai said the appointment of Thaksin is Mr Hun Sen showing his gratitude to the fugitive former premier.

"I would like to raise for observation that what is happening is a show of gratitude by Hun Sun for Thaksin and his Puea Thai and [dissolved] Thai Rak Thai parties for having helped him win the last election," he said.

Mr Chuan said the government had taken a proper retaliatory action by recalling the Thai ambassador to Phnom Penh.

Meanwhile, the situation along the Thai-Cambodian border remains normal on Friday and there is no sign that Cambodian troops are being reinforced, 2nd Army commander Lt-Gen Weewalit Chornsamrit said.

Relations between local people in border villages of the two countries were unchanged.

Lt-Gen Weewalit said that there is still no plan to close the border. The army commander-in-chief chief had ordered his troops to maintain good relations with Cambodia.

Commerce Minister Porntiva Nakasai said the Ministry of Commerce has no plan to recall its commercial attaché to Cambodia for the time being.

“Traditionally, there will be no recall of the commercial attaché as the recall of Thailand’s ambassador to Cambodia is clear and strong enough to show the country’s disagreement with the appointment of Thaksin as an economic adviser to Hun Sen,” she said.

Meanwhile, a core leader of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), Maj-Gen Chamlong Srimuang condemned Hun Sen for interfering in Thailand's internal affairs and impugning its judicial system.

Maj Gen Chamlong asked the international community to condemn the Cambodian government and apply pressure for it to extradite Thaksin to Thailand if he turns up there.

He also condemned Thaksin, accusing him of treachery in using a neighbouring nation to help push his personal political agenda in Thailand.