Bangkok: The Prime Minister reiterated that there will be no discussions on restoring relations and that the border crossing will never be reopened. He added that there's no need for anyone to rush to seek legitimacy for themselves.
According to Thai News Agency, the Prime Minister sent Sihasak Sihasak to lead a reconciliation team to talk with Cambodia under the UNCLOS mechanism. He reiterated that there will be no discussions on restoring relations and no reopening of border crossings. He emphasized that Thailand doesn't need to scramble to find justification for itself, confident that it has done nothing wrong and can explain its position to all parties.
Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul revealed after a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sihasak Phuangketkaew that they discussed the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the process for addressing it, a visit to Vietnam, and the formation of a delegation to participate in discussions regarding UNCLOS. It is likely that Mr. Sihasak will head the delegation, as he holds the level necessary for overseeing international relations. Each country will appoint representatives, mostly foreigners, to ensure neutrality.
Regarding the proactive approach, Mr. Anutin emphasized that the focus is not on who is aggressing against whom, but rather on ensuring Thailand does not lose any of its existing advantages, particularly its sovereignty and the protection of its rights and interests to the greatest extent possible. As for expectations of positive progress in these negotiations, Mr. Anutin stressed that it is a process with many steps remaining. He stated that the Minister of Foreign Affairs will provide details when the time is right, as it involves specialized expertise, especially in international treaty law, requiring information from those with direct knowledge and expertise.
When asked if he was concerned because Cambodia has often seized the advantage on the world stage before Thailand in the past, Mr. Anutin stated, "We haven't done anything wrong, so why should we worry? We can't keep chasing after this person or that person. We are confident in our ability to protect our sovereignty and preserve our territory. There's no need to be shaken." He added, "In principle, those who seek legitimacy lack it. But we are confident in our legitimacy, so we don't need to seek it anywhere else. We can explain ourselves to everyone, even within our own country."
Regarding Cambodia's refusal to accept Thailand's cancellation of MOU 44, Mr. Anutin viewed it as unrelated to UNCLOS, stating that if Cambodia doesn't accept it, progress is impossible. He explained that Cambodia initiated the use of this mechanism, and Thailand is a signatory, but emphasized that the cancellation of MOU 44 isn't due to a lack of dialogue, but rather because of the stagnation it has imposed for over 25 years. Anything that has been in operation for 25 years without progressing must have a changed framework and format.
The reason for not canceling MOU 43 is because it has already progressed more than 60%, and we must continue with the border demarcation according to international standards. Therefore, to say that Thailand unilaterally canceled it is incorrect. We need to find a new framework for negotiations. Cambodia requested to use the UNCLOS mechanism, but we previously stated that it might be MOU 69 or MOU 70. However, Cambodia insists on using the UNCLOS mechanism, meaning that from now on, we will only discuss UNCLOS issues and not other forms of cooperation. Restoring relations is not a priority. Opening border crossings will never happen, and this is Thailand's stance.