Thai Cabinet May Delay Approval for Joint Committee with Cambodia

The Thai Cabinet may not approve appointments for the Joint Technical Committee with Cambodia due to scheduling conflicts faced by key officials, including Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, who will attend an ASEAN meeting. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s availability is also in question. The memorandum of understanding related to the territorial claims, referred to as MOU44, does not require annulment as it merely notes claims without an agreement.

The Cabinet of Thailand is unlikely to approve the selection of Thai officials for the Joint Technical Committee (JTC) with Cambodia during the upcoming meeting, according to Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai. He noted that his attendance at the ASEAN Plus Defence Ministerial Meeting in Laos on Tuesday would prevent him from participating in the Cabinet discussions. Additionally, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra may not be in a position to lead the meeting due to her recent return from the APEC summit in Peru. As a consequence, Thai candidates proposed by the Foreign Ministry for the JTC will probably not be considered.

The Joint Technical Committee is intended to address the overlapping territorial claims in the Gulf of Thailand, resulting from the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between Thailand and Cambodia in 2001. The MoU aims to facilitate dialogue concerning these claims, but does not represent an actual agreement on territorial status, thereby rendering calls from certain nationalist groups to nullify it unfounded. This background is crucial for understanding the significance of the Cabinet’s decision regarding the JTC.

In summary, due to conflicting commitments, particularly surrounding the upcoming ASEAN ministerial meeting, the Thai Cabinet is poised to defer approval of members for the Joint Technical Committee with Cambodia. Moreover, the Defence Minister clarified that the existing memorandum of understanding does not necessitate cancellation as it merely tracks claims without establishing any binding agreement.

Original Source: www.nationthailand.com