The House committee on foreign affairs will summon Foreign Affairs Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow on Tuesday to clarify the implications of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) 43 and 44 with Cambodia.
The move comes after the government has agreed to hold a public referendum on whether to revoke the two agreements, signed in 2000 and 2001, on land and maritime border demarcation.
Saratsanun Unnopporn, a Pheu Thai MP for Khon Kaen and chair of the House committee, on Sunday said these agreements were mentioned in the policy statement of the Anutin Charnvirakul administration.
She said MoUs 43 and 44 involve highly complex and sensitive issues, particularly on matters of national security.
“These matters must be carefully and thoroughly considered, and should not be reduced to a matter of personal preference, political stance or popular support,” Ms Saratsanun said, adding that delegating such a complex and strategically significant issue to a public referendum may not yield the best outcome for Thailand.
She said that, in practice, both MoUs have helped de-escalate tensions between Thailand and Cambodia and have already produced tangible results.
These MoUs provide a framework so both countries can engage in talks, and without them, there is no assurance that existing disputes would not escalate into violence.
The absence of a formal mechanism, Ms Saratsanun cautioned, would leave both sides without a platform for peaceful dialogue.
“These two MoUs serve as a starting point for negotiations,” she said.
“They provide a diplomatic space for both sides to engage in dialogue.”
A House ad hoc committee had already planned to review MoUs 43 and 44. It comprises elected representatives who are, by nature, accountable to the public, she said.
The committee includes experts in various fields, and its work is ongoing.
In light of this, she argued, it would be more beneficial to await the committee’s conclusions than to rush prematurely into a national referendum.
She noted the House committee on foreign affairs had already conducted a thorough review of MoU 44, hearing feedback from stakeholders, including security and legal agencies.
All parties involved agreed that the MoU does not grant unchecked power to the government.
Any outcome of negotiations between Thailand and Cambodia must still be submitted to parliament for approval.
“I would like to hear directly from Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow regarding his stance on the MoUs — whether they should be maintained or repealed,” Ms Saratsanun said, adding she questioned what mechanisms, if any, would exist for peaceful negotiation if both MoUs were scrapped.
As chair of the committee, she said she had issued a formal invitation for Mr Sihasak to appear before the committee to provide clarification, expressing hope that he would respond in person.
She added the government itself has not been able to explain how bilateral relations could return to normal without these agreements.
Without the MoUs, she warned, the situation could spiral into full military confrontation.