Thai gov urged to drop ‘MOU 44’ with Cambodia

The opposition Palang Pracharath party is urging the government to drop MOU44, between Thailand and Cambodia, before negotiating exploration and drilling rights for gas and oil in the overlapping claims area in the Gulf of Thailand, claiming that Thailand could lose half of Kut Island to its eastern neighbour.

The party is collecting signatures from the public in support of an open letter, to be addressed to the Thai premier, expressing its rejection of MOU 44, a document signed during the Thaksin Shinawatra administration with Cambodia, under which Thailand recognises the border line, unilaterally drawn by Phnom Penh, which allows Cambodia to lay claim to half of Kut Island, off Trat province.

Thirachai Puvanatnaranubala, advisory chief for technical affairs of the party, warns that MOU 44, if used as a framework for talks on gas and oil exploration rights and drilling operations in the Gulf, will lead to territorial losses to Cambodia.

He reported being told by General Prawit Wongsuwan, the party leader, that every time the two countries have opened talks on the development of the overlapping claims area, Cambodia would mention the issue of Kut Island.

He noted that the unilateral drawing of the border line in the Gulf by Cambodia has resulted in an overlapping claims area of about 26,000 square kilometres in the Gulf, which conflicts with the 1907 treaty between Siam and France.

Thirachai said he has no objection to talks over the joint development of the overlapping area, but Cambodia must recognise Thailand’s sovereignty over the entirety of Kut Island and Thailand’s demarcation line 200 miles into the Gulf from the island.

Palang Pracharath MP Chaimongkhon Chairop, meanwhile, explained that the party is not extremely nationalistic, but merely wants to protect the country’s territorial sovereignty.

He warned that the party may take to the streets if the government proceeds to negotiate with Cambodia using MOU 44 as the framework for the joint development of the overlapping area.