PM confirms brief talks with Cambodian PM in Russia

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said today that he had an opportunity to meet with his Cambodian counterpart Hun Manet for a brief discussion, which he referred to as “arm twisting” in diplomatic terminology, on the sidelines of the ASEAN-Russia summit in Kazan, Russia.

He restated Thailand’s firm stance in rejecting talks with Cambodia under the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) or General Border Committee (GBC) frameworks, if the outcomes of which would be compulsory for Thailand to accept.

If “compulsory” appears, he said that Thailand will immediately pull out to protect its national interests, adding that the Thai government had proposed talks under the JBC or GBC frameworks, but Cambodia chose conciliation under the UNCLOS framework.

He said the government had responded to Cambodia’s proposal by setting up a delegation for the UNCLOS negotiations, but only on the principle that “we will not accept anything which we do not like.”

The prime minister also dismissed any report that his government plans to reopen some of the border passes with Cambodia, noting that he will not do anything which goes against the wishes of the Thai people in general.