The Anutin government should be cautious when considering the termination of MOUs 43 and 44 with Cambodia and should prepare contingency plans to cope with the potential fallout from such action, said People’s party MP Rangsiman Rome advised the government yesterday.
During the second day of debate on the government’s policy statement, he said that the planned referendum on the MOUs sounds good, but the issue is more complicated than meets the eyes.
For instance, he said, if the MOUs are scrapped, Cambodia could claim there is no bilateral mechanism for dealing with the demarcation issue and may resort to the ICJ for settlement.
A transnational oil company may take Thailand to the international arbitration panel to seek compensation from the Thai government over its loss of the concession rights for oil exploitation, he added.
Rome also urged Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to be genuinely serious about suppressing transnational scam operations in Cambodia and Thailand, claiming that the situation has worsened this year and revenue generated by scam operations in Cambodia amounts to about 60% of its GDP.
He claimed that most scam activities take place adjacent to the Thai border, because they depend on resources from Thailand, adding that several Cambodian businessmen, with links to the scam operations in Cambodia, have businesses in Thailand.
Allegedly among them are Kok An, Ly Yong Phat and Benjamin Mauerberger, a South African national, known for his close connections with Cambodian strongman Hun Sen who, once, tried to apply for Thai citizenship.
The People’s party MP said that the BIC Bank in Cambodia is allegedly used to launder money earned from scam activities and is reported to be linked to several Thai politicians.
He claimed that, when a former Thai prime minister visited Le Pe Island, off Satun province, Benjamin and Thammanat Prompao, leader of the Kla Tham party, were also on the island, as he showed a picture to parliament of a person who looks like Thaksin Shinawatra with Thammanat and Benjamin.
He proposed that the Department of Special Investigation and Cybercrime Investigation Bureau check the money trails of Benjamin, Ly Yong Phat and Yim Kiak, chairman of BIC Bank in Cambodia.
He also suggested that the Securities and Exchange Commission impose restrictions on the movement of crypto currencies, to prevent money laundering.
