By Thai Newsroom Reporters
THE OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN was today (Nov. 25) asked to call on the Constitutional Court or Administrative Court to declare immediately null and void a 2001 MoU signed between Bangkok and Phnom Penh.
Political activist Sonthiya Sawasdee submitted a petition to the Office of the Ombudsman asking the agency to forward it to the Constitutional Court or Administrative Court to finally rule as null and void the contentious MoU signed in the time of former prime minister/now de facto Pheu Thai boss Thaksin Shinawatra and his former Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen.
Sonthiya insisted that any bilateral talks on the basis of the MoU between the current Thai and Cambodian governments involving a profit-sharing undersea natural resources development project be indefinitely put on hold, pending a relevant ruling of the Constitutional Court or Administrative Court.
According to the activist, Thailand could possibly lose territorial integrity over part of Koh Kood island off Trat as far as the questionable MoU is concerned as had been the case of Preah Vihear which Thailand finally lost to Cambodia under an International Court of Justice ruling in 1962.
Thaksin’s daughter-turned-Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has earlier confirmed negotiations between Bangkok and Phnom Penh on the bilateral undersea resources development project will undoubtedly resume.
A tete-a-tete talk on the debatable issue had been more or less speculated to be held between Thaksin and Hun Sen when the latter was the first guest to visit the former shortly after the Thai prime minister’s father had been released as a convict on parole from Police Hospital earlier this year.
CAPTION:
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, right in above photo and left in Front Page photo, and political activist Sonthiya Sawasdee. Top photo: Thai Rath, Front Page photo: Amarin TV
Also read: Mass petition against Thai-Khmer undersea project to be submitted to Govt
Thai-Khmer MoU on joint undersea resources scheme deemed ‘unconstitutional’
Phumtham denies rumours of Thaksin-Hun Sen hush-hush deal on undersea scheme
PM urged to not compromise over Koh Kood island
Court orders detention of Dr. Boon’s ex-wife, daughter
Pheu Thai wins local election at its stronghold
