Thailand will firmly protect its sovereignty and maritime rights while adhering to international law, Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said today in his opening statement, as Thailand and Cambodia began their first UNCLOS conciliation meeting in Singapore.
Sihasak said he had a clear objective of seeking a solution to the maritime boundary issue that would protect Thailand’s rights and allow the two countries to move forward as neighbours.He said the broader context of Thai-Cambodian relations was important to understanding the situation that had brought the two countries to the conciliation process.
Thailand had always believed that differences between neighbours should be resolved by maintaining communication, rebuilding trust and seeking sustainable solutions through bilateral negotiations, he said.
Cambodia, however, had taken a different approach, Sihasak said, accusing it of claiming to respect international law while interpreting and using it in ways that served its own interests.
He said recent events leading to tensions between the two countries should also be taken into account, including Cambodia’s alleged release of a private telephone conversation between the two countries’ leaders, rocket attacks that killed Thai civilians and landmine incidents that injured Thai soldiers.
“Where was respect for international law at those times?” Sihasak said.
He stressed that Thailand had always adhered firmly to international law and would strongly defend its rights.
For Thailand, he said, international law and diplomacy were mutually reinforcing foundations for maintaining peaceful relations between countries.
International law provided the framework, while diplomacy was the tool for building trust with neighbouring countries and reaching mutually acceptable and sustainable solutions.
Sihasak said restoring trust was particularly important as relations between Thailand and Cambodia had entered a challenging period, with the conflict undermining confidence and causing significant losses on both sides.
At an ASEAN summit earlier this year, the two countries’ leaders had expressed their commitment to gradually restoring bilateral relations, while Sihasak said he had proposed practical and gradual measures during his meeting with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn in New York in May.
However, Sihasak accused Cambodia of continuing to make unfounded accusations against Thailand instead of engaging fully and sincerely in bilateral dialogue.
He said Cambodia had repeatedly presented what Thailand considered false narratives, distorted facts and made unfounded allegations against Thailand, including at international forums.
"It does this by playing the role of a victim with a sense of self-righteousness aimed at claiming the moral high ground," he said.
Such actions had undermined trust, fuelled public sentiment and increased tensions, making it more difficult for the two countries to restore their relations, he said.
Sihasak also rejected Cambodia’s claim that Thailand’s decision to terminate the 2001 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) left Cambodia with no choice but to enter the current conciliation process.
He said the two countries had held only two formal meetings over the past 25 years under the MOU, with no tangible progress.
Thailand had therefore decided to seek a new round of negotiations on a stronger legal basis, particularly after Cambodia became a party to UNCLOS, he said.
Sihasak said Thailand had proposed that the two countries resume negotiations on maritime delimitation, which could help improve bilateral relations and open the way to resolving other issues.
He said Thailand had also proposed that if the two sides failed to reach an agreement within six months, they could then enter a joint conciliation process.
He therefore rejected Cambodia’s claim that it had no alternative but to enter the conciliation process after Thailand terminated the MOU, saying Cambodia had other options but chose not to pursue them.
Sihasak stressed the need to clearly define the scope of the conciliation process.
For Thailand, he said, the process should deal only with the delimitation of the maritime boundary between Thailand and Cambodia in the Gulf of Thailand.
He stressed that the process did not concern sovereignty over land territory, including Thailand’s Koh Kood.
Thailand also rejects Cambodia’s continental shelf claim made in 1972, which Sihasak said had no legal basis.
He said Thailand was participating in the conciliation process in good faith, recognising its obligations under UNCLOS and having confidence in the neutrality and expertise of the conciliation commission.
The process could help the two sides narrow their differences in their legal positions and resume negotiations, he said.
Sihasak expressed confidence that, with the commission’s guidance, Thailand and Cambodia could reach a practical and sustainable outcome on maritime delimitation.
.The development and outcome of the conciliation process would have significant implications for future Thai-Cambodian relations, Sihasak stressed.
He reiterated that Thailand would firmly protect its sovereignty and maritime rights while remaining committed to peace and shared prosperity with its neighbours.
Thailand was determined to remain on the path of peace, but this required political will from both sides, he said.
Sihasak said Thailand and Cambodia would remain neighbours long after the conciliation process ended and that both sides had a responsibility to ensure that future generations could benefit from peace and prosperity.
“Thailand is ready to do its part, and we hope Cambodia will do the same,” he said.
The Thai and Cambodian foreign ministers’ opening statements were broadcast live from the meeting room.
Main photo: Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow delivers his opening statement at the UNCLOS conciliation meeting in Singapore this morning.
