Thailand cannot scrap MOU44 without Cambodia’s okay: Anutin
The minister insists Ko Kut is Thai territory and assures the public that the memorandum only outlines each country’s overlapping claims, not territorial concessions
Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who is also deputy PM, said on Monday that the controversial MOU44 between Thailand and Cambodia on overlapping claims areas could not be abolished without Cambodia’s consent.
Anutin was responding to calls by the Palang Pracharath Party and national activists for the government to abolish the MOU44 over fears that it would cause Thailand to lose territory to Cambodia, especially parts of Trat’s Ko Kut island.
MOU44 refers to the memorandum of understanding that was signed in Thai year BE 2544 or 2001.
Calls to abolish MOU44 became louder after the Pheu Thai-led coalition announced plans to go ahead with talks on jointly exploring and drilling for oil in the overlapping claims areas in the Gulf of Thailand.
Thailand and Cambodia signed the memorandum in an initiative led by then-foreign minister, Surakiart Sathirathai, under the government of Thaksin Shinawatra.
Foreign law experts, including Pheu Thai’s former foreign minister Noppadon Pattama, said the MOU44 would not cause Thailand to lose Ko Kut or any other territory to Cambodia.
While talking to reporters on Friday, Noppadon said the MOU44 simply provided information on Thailand and Cambodia’s claims on the 322-kilometre overlapping claims area.
He said before negotiating the overlapping claims area, both sides had to know each other’s claims first, and MOU44 simply provided this information.
Anutin declared on Monday that Ko Kut belongs to Thailand and is a district of Trat province, adding the public need not worry about it.
However, he added, the MOU was a bilateral contract, so it cannot be unilaterally abolished by Thailand.
