Sihasak hopeful of conciliation talks with Cambodia despite testy start

Despite what was seen as a contentious start, Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said he is hopeful that the ongoing compulsory conciliation process will help pave the way for Thailand and Cambodia to resolve their conflicts.

Sihasak also defended his forceful opening statement last week as necessary to set the record straight on the causes of the divisions between the two countries.

He said the maritime dispute negotiations should not be seen in isolation from the context of their broader relationship, which has been marred by what he described as persistent breaches of trust by Cambodia.

Speaking to Thai PBS in a recent interview, Sihasak remained assertive and unyielding in criticizing Cambodia for continuing to publicize what he called false narratives and distort facts to vilify Thailand through its media and on the international stage.

“This runs counter to what the leaders of the two countries agreed at the ASEAN Summit in Cebu in May, that they would refrain from attacking each other so that we can build up trust,” he said.

When asked how he would describe the atmosphere of the first round of talks, which many media outlets saw as confrontational, Sihasak said: “It was just the first round. So, there was naturally some footwork on both sides.”

He said the real substance of the negotiations would come in the next rounds of talks, which will deal with the technical aspects of the maritime dispute.

The foreign minister emphasized that Thailand insists on clearly defining the maritime boundaries before discussing any joint development of economic resources, as proposed by his Cambodian counterpart, Prak Sokhonn.

Defending Thailand’s decision to terminate the 2001 MOU, Sihasak said the document had produced no concrete progress in settling the two countries’ maritime boundary dispute, pointing out that only two rounds of official talks had been held.

He said Thailand believes the maritime dispute should be settled bilaterally. But after ratifying the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) early this year, Cambodia immediately resorted to the compulsory conciliation process instead.

However, Sihasak said the emphasis of the process should be on the word “conciliation” rather than “compulsory”.

Compulsory conciliation under UNCLOS is a legally binding dispute resolution process, but its final recommendations are not legally binding.

On comments that his assertive stance at the conciliation talks was designed to accommodate nationalist sentiment at home, Sihasak said Thailand pursues diplomacy based on reason.

“But, of course, today’s diplomacy must also reflect the Thai people’s voice,” he said, while denying that he was influenced by prevailing nationalist sentiment at home.

Despite their continuing differences, Sihasak said he is hopeful that the conciliation negotiations will provide an opportunity for Thailand and Cambodia to work towards resolving their outstanding problems.

“In essence, it is a legal process. But it also provides a venue for diplomacy. During our interaction, some ideas may come up to help us make some progress,” he said.

Sihasak said he does not see the conciliation process as a zero-sum game.

“It should provide a win-win solution that is acceptable to both sides and the public,” he said.

He said it is incumbent on both countries to ensure that future generations are not left with today’s unresolved problems.

“My hope is that we will leave them with dividends of peace and prosperity,” he said.

by Thepchai Yong