Maris allays concerns on OCA in Gulf

Foreign Affairs Minister Maris Sangiampongsa sought to allay concerns over upcoming talks with Cambodia regarding issues related to the Overlapping Claims Area (OCA) in the Gulf of Thailand, stressing that for the negotiations to be successful, they must be mutually accepted by both nations.
He said on Wednesday any resulting agreement would require prior approval from each country’s cabinet and parliamentary endorsement, in line with the law.
He also dismissed as impossible claims by critics that the negotiations, which would be based on the controversial 2001 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), would favour one side.
He said the exploitation of natural resources in the Gulf of Thailand cannot proceed until negotiations are completed, adding the MoU explicitly says that discussions on maritime boundaries and joint development must occur simultaneously.
Mr Maris said Thailand’s interests would be prioritised, with benefits expected for Thai citizens, including clearly defined maritime borders and more affordable energy resources.
The minister said the 2001 MoU does not lead to territorial loss to Cambodia.
The map included in the MoU merely illustrates each country’s claimed continental shelf area and does not represent a maritime boundary line. He added the MoU is advantageous for Thailand as it mandates concurrent talks on maritime borders and joint development.
PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who left on Wednesday for two regional meetings in Kunming, China, declined to comment on the talks.
However, on Tuesday, she mentioned the government is preparing to form a Joint Technical Committee (JTC) in the next two weeks to negotiate issues related to the OCA, with the proposal expected to go before the cabinet shortly.
Meanwhile, activist Thaikorn Polsuwan wrote on Facebook that, following the 2019 elections, the Palang Pracharath Party-led government and Cambodia agreed to resume talks under the 2001 MoU, although only one meeting was held.
Citing sources close to the issue, he said that during the meeting, Cambodia presented two proposals: for Thailand to recognise its 1972 territorial claim over half of Koh Kut in Trat province, and designate Koh Kut as a joint economic development area.
The Thai delegation requested an adjournment upon learning of Cambodia’s proposals, and no further meetings have been held since.
The PPRP is among critics of the MoU, with key members urging the Pheu Thai-led government to revoke the 2001 MoU, arguing it puts Thailand at a disadvantage and risks territorial loss.
Meanwhile, Wichit Sukasuyanon, president of the Trat Tourism Association, expressed concern that issues related to the 2001 MoU are affecting tourism.
He said some videos circulating on social media regarding the maritime border in the Gulf of Thailand are fake and may have undermined tourists’ confidence.