Bangkok: The Cabinet has resolved to cancel MOU 44 and will notify Cambodia. The Prime Minister is confident that this will not affect the border. The Prime Minister revealed that the Cabinet has resolved to cancel MOU 44 and is preparing to send a letter to inform Cambodia. He expressed confidence that this will not affect the border situation and affirmed that there will be no problem if he meets Hun Manet at the ASEAN meeting in the Philippines. He declared "Thailand First" and assured the public that there is nothing for the country to lose.
According to Thai News Agency, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul announced the results of the Cabinet meeting regarding the cancellation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) 44 between the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand and the Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia concerning the overlapping continental shelf claims of Thailand and Cambodia. He stated that the Cabinet approved the cancellation, and emphasized that the cancellation of MOU 44 is not related to the conflict with Cambodia, but rather reflects his policy of cancelling agreements that have been ongoing for over 25 years without reaching a conclusion. He added that other relevant principles, such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), can be used as reference points for both countries to jointly refer to, as both nations are parties to that convention.
When asked about Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen's statement that canceling the ban would only lead to more disputes, the Prime Minister simply stated that the question should be directed to him in person. Regarding whether this will make negotiations more difficult because the two countries have differing opinions, the Prime Minister stated that there have been no negotiations yet.
The reporter then asked if there would be any problems if negotiations took place. The Prime Minister stated that it was a new context and that people should not be tied to the past. He added that for Thailand, MOU 44 is no longer relevant.
Regarding the steps following the cancellation of MOU 44, the Prime Minister revealed that MOU 44 was established primarily to define how to divide the benefits derived from underwater resources. Therefore, if renegotiations are necessary, new discussions will be required, possibly involving MOU 70 instead of MOU 44.
When asked whether, legally speaking, the cancellation of MOU 44 takes effect today, the Prime Minister said that it does not yet, but Thailand must notify those who signed the MOU before sending the official letter.
Regarding the 48th ASEAN Summit in the Philippines, when asked if there would be an opportunity to discuss MOU 44 with Cambodia, the Prime Minister stated that they would inevitably meet during the discussions. He added that they have no problem with this, and that he can assure the Thai people that "Thailand First" is the motto, and that Thailand will have nothing to lose.
Regarding the question of whether the situation along the Thai-Cambodian border will become more tense if the 44-point MOU is revoked, the Prime Minister stated that vigilance is maintained along the border, and no complacency is being observed. Security forces and the military are fully protecting our borders, and there is nothing to worry about. He added that he checks on the situation with the military almost weekly, and the situation has even improved.