KhmerTimes-May 4, 2026
Acting Head of State Hun Sen warned that Thailand’s push to cancel the 2001 maritime MoU with Cambodia could signal a shift away from bilateral negotiations, while analysts said the move is driven by nationalism and risks dismantling a long-standing framework for managing overlapping claims in the Gulf of Thailand. The 2001 MoU is a landmark agreement between Cambodia and Thailand regarding an overlapping claims area (OCA) in the Gulf of Thailand. Signed on June 18, 2001, it establishes a framework for the joint development of oil and gas resources and the delimitation of maritime boundaries.
The agreement seeks to establish a treaty for sharing the costs and benefits of exploiting petroleum resources in the disputed area. It also provides a mechanism to agree on a mutually acceptable maritime boundary in accordance with international law. In a social media statement, Mr Hun Sen noted that Thai scholars and analysts have historically opposed the cancellation of the MoU. “These analysts generally tend to oppose its cancellation, and I would like to express my respect for those views,” he said. The Cambodian leader questioned whether Thailand’s recent efforts to revoke the MoU are an attempt to internationalize the maritime dispute, diverging from bilateral negotiation frameworks. Along with the post, Mr Hun Sen shared a Khmer translation of an article by Thai security expert Surachart Bamrungsuk arguing against the move. In the article, Surachart critically examined the Thai government’s reported intention to cancel what is often referred to as “MoU 44”. He argued that such a move is driven more by domestic nationalist sentiment than by legal or diplomatic necessity. According to the analysis, the MoU serves as a negotiation mechanism rather than a treaty dividing maritime resources such as oil and natural gas. Its cancellation would effectively dismantle the existing framework for dialogue, forcing both sides to establish a new provisional arrangement—potentially complicating future negotiations. Read more at:
