Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has offered his assurance that the signing of a joint declaration on peace between Thailand and Cambodia, on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit today in Kuala Lumpur, will not put Thailand at a disadvantage, as feared by Thai nationalist groups.
In his 8-minute livestream from Kuala Lumpur today the prime minister said that the talks leading to the signing today were aimed at protecting the honour, sovereignty and territory of Thailand.
He said that Thailand’s four preconditions are included in the declaration, adding that, since the document is not a treaty per se, it does not need to be ratified by the Thai parliament after being approved by the Cabinet.
The four preconditions are the withdrawal of heavy weaponry from border areas, cooperation in demining efforts, cooperation in the suppression of transnational scam networks in Cambodia and management of disputed territory.
The prime minister noted that it is clear that Cambodia has started to respond positively to Thailand’s preconditions, adding that he is optimistic that the declaration will be implemented and bring about peace along the shared border.
The signing will be witnessed by US President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, in his capacity as ASEAN chair.
Thailand does not want to be an enemy of any country, but it is not afraid to go to war, said Prime Minister Anutin, as he referred to a line in the Thai national anthem. He also appealed to all Thais to trust that the government, the military and the Foreign Ministry have done their utmost to protect national interests.
He insisted that the 1:200,000 scale map has not been included in talks between the Thai and Cambodian delegations or in the joint declaration, noting that LiDAR technology is now used in modern mapping, rendering the 1:200,000 scale map obsolete.
“I am appealing for moral support because, in the next few hours, the joint declaration will be signed,” said Anutin, adding that he will immediately inform the Thai public and return to Thailand to participate in the Royal funeral of the late Queen Mother.
