Surakiart defends sea borders MoU

7/09/2011
Nattaya Chetchotiros
Bangkok Post

Former deputy prime minister Surakiart Sathirathai said yesterday that the 2001 memorandum of understanding on maritime borders between Thailand and Cambodia had been beneficial to the kingdom.

The ex-minister who served in the Thaksin Shinawatra government came out in defence of the deal after the Democrat Party on Monday questioned the merits of the MoU.

Democrat spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut told reporters on Monday that the Thaksin government had signed the deal with Cambodia in haste after having been in office only a few months. He also dismissed Mr Surakiart's earlier claim that the MoU compels Phnom Penh to accept that Koh Kut, which is located in the Gulf of Thailand, belongs to Thailand.

Mr Surakiart insisted yesterday the MoU did compel the Cambodian government to recognise Koh Kut as being in Thai territorial waters, although it had tried to say in 1972 that the island and the disputed area near the Preah Vihear temple belonged to Cambodia.

[Thai] Foreign Ministry reaffirms Koh Kut under Thai sovereignty

September 6, 2011
Source: http://www.mfa.go.th/web/35.php?id=28017

On 5 September 2011, in response to media enquiries regarding Koh Kut, Mr. Thani Thongphakdi, Director-General of the Department of Information and Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, made the following statement:

1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirms that Koh Kut is under Thai sovereignty. The 1907 Treaty between Siam and France clearly stated that the French government ceded to Thailand the territories of Trat and all the islands situated to the south of cape of Laem Sing, up until and including Koh Kut; in exchange, Thailand ceded to France the territories of Siem Reap, Battambang, and Sisophon.

2. The Memorandum of Understanding between the Royal Thai Government and the Royal Government of Cambodia regarding the Area of their Overlapping Maritime Claims to the Continental Shelf, signed on 18 June 2001, also clearly indicates that Koh Kut is under the sovereignty of Thailand, which Cambodia has accepted and never challenged this fact. This is reflected in the map attached to the said 2001 Memorandum of Understanding showing that the upper line of the overlapping claims area was drawn southwardly surrounding Koh Kut instead of crossing over it.

3. Thailand and Cambodia will have to continue negotiations to delimit the exact maritime boundary in accordance with international law.

Spat flares up over Koh Kut sovereignty

Democrat Party spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut points to the demarcation lines along the Thai-Cambodian border.

6/09/2011
Manop Thip-Osod
Bangkok Post

Democrat Party spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut has countered a claim by former deputy premier Surakiart Sathirathai that the 2001 memorandum of understanding between Thailand and Cambodia was intended to claim Thai sovereignty over Koh Kut in Trat.

Mr Surakiart, a deputy prime minister in the Thaksin Shinawatra administration who oversaw foreign, education and cultural affairs, said the signing of the 2001 MoU was intended to assert Thai sovereignty over Koh Kut.

Mr Chavanond, a former secretary to the foreign minister during the Abhisit Vejjajiva administration, yesterday said several points mentioned by Mr Surakiart were inaccurate.

According to a statement issued by Mr Chavanond, the Thai-Cambodian negotiations over the two countries' disputed areas did not begin during the Thaksin administration. The talks between the two governments had been ongoing for more than 25 years.

Cambodia denies Thai claim of maritime problems

Sat, 22 Aug 2009
ABC Radio Australia

Cambodian defence officials have denied Thai media reports that Cambodian patrols have entered disputed maritime areas near Thailand's Koh Kut island.

The reports came less than one week after marines and warships from the Thai navy's 1st Fleet were deployed close to disputed areas.

The Phnom Penh Post quotes a secretary of state at the Defence Ministry saying he hasn't received any reports from his subordinates about a Cambodian move into the areas.

The chief of the Preah Sihanouk provincial coast guard station, says his men conduct regular patrols in Cambodian waters but never entered the 27,000- square-kilometre overlapping claims area.

The Bangkok Post reports Thailand's Ministry of Defence is planning to register a complaint about a Cambodian patrol entering disputed waters.

Reaction to Thailand’s formation a naval base

Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

A high ranking Cambodian government official reacted on Monday to Thailand’s formation of a naval base in Koh Kut Island, located in Trat Province. The Cambodian official called the formation of this naval base a violation of the 2000 MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) between Cambodia and Thailand, and that it is a threat to Cambodia’s national security as well. Phay Siphan, spokesman of the Council of Ministers, made this statement after reports indicated that Thai royal navy battleships were ordered to patrol near the overlapping waters between Thailand and Cambodia in order to counter any action taken by Cambodia. Phay Siphan told RFA: “Therefore, the naval threat will affect the national security of the kingdom of Cambodia. Furthermore, the use of troops to resolve border issues or to protect waters in the Thai-Cambodian Gulf is not in agreement with the 2000 MOU.” Phay Siphan said that Cambodia will deliver a diplomatic note to Thailand for its sending of battleships to the overlapping sea waters area.