Abhisit says scrapping MOU 44 should pose no problem, urges close watch on Cambodia

Abhisit Vejjajiva, party-list MP and leader of the Democrat Party, said on Saturday that the National Security Council’s decision to scrap MOU 44 should not pose any problem in principle.

He said the party had long argued that the memorandum had not been used in practice and had faced problems over maps from the very beginning. As a result, whether it moved forward or was cancelled, there was no issue in principle, because continuing under the MOU would itself have created problems.

However, he said the legal steps and procedures would need to be handled carefully and thoroughly, and Thailand must also watch closely how Cambodia responds.

Abhisit said the party had made its position clear since the election, namely that the 2001 MOU could be cancelled.

Asked whether Thailand and Cambodia becoming parties to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea could create future problems, particularly as Cambodia had often failed to comply in the past, Abhisit said international law should remain the guiding principle.

He added that, where negotiations were required, both sides would have to reach a new agreement, as the existing one was no longer functioning and had already encountered a number of problems.

As for whether scrapping the MOU would be beneficial, Abhisit said the key issue now was to ensure that any action was taken carefully and in line with legal principles, while also taking Cambodia’s movements into account.