The government has admitted that the establishment of a Joint Technical Committee (JTC) to negotiate with Cambodia on disputed maritime areas has not made any progress and is still in the process of being formed, according to Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai.
Mr Phumtham, who is also the defence minister, provided an update on the progress of establishing a JTC for negotiations with Cambodia under the 2001 Thai-Cambodian Memorandum of Understanding (MoU 44), which serves as a framework for talks on the overlapping continental shelf claims between Thailand and Cambodia.
He acknowledged that there has been no progress so far, as discussions are ongoing to determine the next steps. This matter falls under the responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and there is no word yet of when it will be brought to a cabinet meeting.
When asked about reports that Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet stated that the ownership of Koh Kut has not yet been negotiated and whether Thailand and Cambodia share the same understanding, he reiterated Thailand's clear position that Koh Kut belongs to Thailand.
"It is essential to review the facts carefully before making any statements," he said.
Meanwhile, Harirak Sutabutr, former rector of Thammasat University, posted his perspective on MoU on his Facebook account on Friday. He said the MoU has some advantages, notably as a framework for bilateral negotiations and a safeguard against certain concerns.
Specifically, the MoU makes it clear that border negotiations and the division of profit from hydrocarbon resources cannot be conducted independently.
"Therefore, what former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra proposed -- negotiating a 50:50 profit-sharing agreement between the two countries without addressing boundary issues -- is impossible," he said.
He said the scary point is that signing the MoU means that both parties know or recognise the results of the two countries' different claims. Therefore, if the boundary issue cannot be agreed upon and the matter is brought to the International Court of Justice in the future, the Cambodian side may claim that Thailand was aware of the different territorial areas, resulting in overlapping claimed areas, but never objected. Therefore, Cambodia may use this issue to its advantage in a court case, he said.
"What's even more concerning than the MoU itself is whether the current government can be trusted. Can we believe that this government will try its utmost to protect the territories that rightfully belong to Thailand, including Koh Kut and those for which HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great has already issued a royal command?" he asked.
"We cannot trust this government at all," he said.