MoU 44, a written territorial understanding between Thailand and Cambodia, can be terminated unilaterally, but this should not be done because it may adversely affect relations between the parties to it, according to Council of State Secretary-General Pakorn Nilprapunt today.
He also urged the Thai media to refrain from referring to the disputed area in the Gulf as an “overlapping claim area”, because it may disadvantage Thailand should the case ever be taken to the International Court of Justice.
Pakorn explained that an MoU is a document jointly worked out between two parties and, therefore, should not be terminated unilaterally, because the parties, in this case Thailand and Cambodia, must both behave honourably and, if the MoU is to be terminated, it must be discussed between the parties.
He explained that the term “overlapping claim area” should not be used, because both Thailand and Cambodia have laid claim to the same area and sovereignty over which areas has not yet been determined.
He went on to say that Thailand, during the administration of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, never used the term.
