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MoU 44 Cancellation Aids Cambodia, International Powers Eye Gulf Treasures

MoU 44 Cancellation Aids Cambodia, International Powers Eye Gulf Treasures

MGR Online•General•18d ago

Reader Briefing

Cancellation of maritime border agreement MOU 44 by Thailand is seen as advantageous to Cambodia, potentially inviting international intervention into resource disputes in the Gulf of Thailand.

  • •Assoc. Prof. Dr. Panitan Wattanayagorn warns that Thailand's cancellation of MOU 44 regarding maritime borders with Cambodia could lead to international powers interfering.
  • •The MOU 44, signed on June 18, 2001 (2001), was intended to address overlapping territorial claims on land and sea, particularly concerning rich petroleum resources.
  • •Cambodia may leverage this cancellation to draw in international bodies and major powers, potentially escalating the dispute into a proxy conflict.
  • •Thailand faces a more complex negotiation landscape with third parties and superpowers now potentially involved in resolving border and resource issues.

Overview

  • •On June 14, 2000, the MOU 43 was signed by Thai Foreign Minister M.R. Sukhumbhand Paribatra and Cambodian advisor Var Kim Hong.
  • •On June 18, 2001, MOU 44 was signed by Thai Foreign Minister Surakiat Sathianthai and his Cambodian counterpart, Sok An.
  • •In 2003, the burning of the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh occurred, leading to a halt in official meetings for MOU 44.
  • •On November 10, 2009, the Abhisit government's cabinet resolved to cancel MOU 44.
  • •The Anutin government's cabinet resolved to cancel MOU 44 on May 5, 2024.
  • •MOU 43 and MOU 44 shared similar principles, focusing on bilateral negotiations and maintaining the status quo for land and maritime border delimitations.
  • •The cancellation of MOU 44 by the Thai government is viewed by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Panitan Wattanayagorn as creating an opportunity for Cambodia to involve international actors.
  • •The cancellation of MOU 44 is anticipated to make future Thai-Cambodian border dispute resolutions more complex and challenging due to the increased involvement of various international mechanisms and third parties.

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Key Quotes

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Panitan Wattanayagorn
"End of MOU 2001: Is it the end of Cambodia seizing Thai territory? (Part 1/2)"
สิ้นสุด MOU 2001 : อวสานกัมพูชาฮุบดินแดนไทยหรือไม่? (ตอนที่ 1/2)
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Panitan Wattanayagorn
"The connection between MOU 2000 and MOU 2001 - difficult to separate."
ความเชื่อมโยงของ MOU 2000 และ MOU 2001 - ยากจะแยกออกจากกัน
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Panitan Wattanayagorn
"Hard to separate."

Key Entities

Person

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Panitan Wattanayagorn(รศ.ดร.ปณิธาน วัฒนายากร)ℹ️
Expert on security and foreign affairs who warns about the implications of Thailand cancelling MOU 44.
M.R. Sukhumbhand Paribatra(ม.ร.ว. สุขุมพันธ์ บริพัตร)ℹ️
Former Thai Minister of Foreign Affairs who signed MOU 43.
Var Kim Hong(นายวาร์ คิม ฮง)
Advisor to the Cambodian government who signed MOU 43.
Chuan Leekpai(นายชวน หลีกภัย)ℹ️
Prime Minister of Thailand when MOU 43 was signed.
Surakiat Sathianthai(นายสุรเกียรติ์ เสถียรไทย)ℹ️
Thai Minister of Foreign Affairs who signed MOU 44.
Thaksin Shinawatra (then Police Lieutenant Colonel)(พันตำรวจโท (ยศขณะนั้น) ทักษิณ ชินวัตร)ℹ️
Prime Minister of Thailand when MOU 44 was signed.
Sok An(นายสกอัน)
Cambodian Minister of Foreign Affairs who signed MOU 44.

Place

Cambodia(กัมพูชา)ℹ️
Neighboring country to Thailand involved in a maritime border dispute.
Gulf of Thailand(อ่าวไทย)ℹ️
Body of water between Thailand and Cambodia where overlapping territorial claims for petroleum resources exist.
USA(สหรัฐฯ)ℹ️
Major power with potential interest in resource exploration in the disputed areas of the Gulf of Thailand.
United Kingdom(อังกฤษ)ℹ️
Foreign power with potential interest in resource exploration in the disputed areas of the Gulf of Thailand.
France(ฝรั่งเศส)ℹ️
Foreign power with potential interest in resource exploration in the disputed areas of the Gulf of Thailand.
India(อินเดีย)ℹ️
Foreign power with potential interest in resource exploration in the disputed areas of the Gulf of Thailand.
Japan(ญี่ปุ่น)ℹ️
Foreign power with potential interest in resource exploration in the disputed areas of the Gulf of Thailand.
Blocks (B5-B13, Area I-Area III)(แปลงต่างๆ (B5-B13, Area I-Area III))
Specific concessions in the Gulf of Thailand containing petroleum resources, of interest to foreign nations.

Law

MOU 44
Maritime border agreement between Thailand and Cambodia signed on June 18, 2001 (2001), which was recently cancelled by the Thai government.
MOU 43
Land border agreement between Thailand and Cambodia signed on June 14, 2000 (2000), which shares similar principles with MOU 44.
Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties(อนุสัญญากรุงเวียนนาว่าด้วยกฎหมายสนธิสัญญา)ℹ️
International treaty that governs treaties between states, cited by Cambodia regarding the unilateral cancellation of MOU 44.
UNCLOSℹ️
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which may be invoked in the maritime border dispute.

Organization

Security and Foreign Affairs Expert(นักวิชาการด้านความมั่นคงและการต่างประเทศ)
Description of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Panitan Wattanayagorn's area of expertise.
Cabinet of the Anutin Government(คณะรัฐมนตรี (ครม.) ของรัฐบาลอนุทิน)
The government body that resolved to cancel MOU 44 on May 5, 2024.
Cabinet of the Abhisit Government(คณะรัฐมนตรี (ครม.) ของรัฐบาลอภิสิทธิ์)
The government body that previously resolved to cancel MOU 44 on November 10, 2009.
Cabinet in the Prayut Government(คณะรัฐมนตรี (ครม.) ในรัฐบาลพลเอกประยุทธ์)
The government body that resolved to review the cancellation of MOU 44.
ICJℹ️
International Court of Justice, which Cambodia may seek to involve in the dispute.
United Nations(สหประชาชาติ)ℹ️
International organization that Cambodia may seek assistance from regarding the maritime border dispute.
US Board of Peace(คณะมนตรีสันติภาพของสหรัฐฯ (Board of Peace))
A body Cambodia is involved with, which may be used to gain leverage in the dispute.