H.E. Russ Jalichandra, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, has cautioned that revoking the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU 43) on Thai-Cambodian border negotiations would immediately disadvantage Thailand.
Amid calls by some political groups to cancel the agreement, Russ emphasized that MOU 43 is neither a treaty nor a land concession, but a framework enabling peaceful negotiations through the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC). It sets clear rules for dialogue, ensures both sides agree on reference documents, and requires any final deal to be ratified by Parliament.
Russ warned that scrapping the MOU would not resolve ongoing disputes. It would simply force both countries back to the drawing board to establish a new negotiation framework.
He also noted that Cambodia has already breached the MOU by taking unilateral actions in areas designated as unchanged and by attempting to bypass bilateral talks in favor of international forums. Cancelling the agreement now, he said, would free Cambodia from its current obligations and undermine Thailand’s legal position.
Finally, he questioned the motives of political parties pushing for the MOU’s termination, pointing out that these same parties had supported it while in power. Their current stance, he suggested, casts doubt on their consistency and true intentions.
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