Cambodia and Thailand begin UN process over maritime dispute

The foreign ministers of Cambodia and Thailand addressed the first meeting of a UN-backed conciliation process on Tuesday aimed at resolving the longstanding maritime dispute between the two Southeast Asian countries. The meeting was held in Singapore.

Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn said his country was seeking to sign an agreement with Thailand establishing a single, comprehensive maritime boundary in the Gulf of Thailand. Alternatively, he said, the two countries could reach an agreement on jointly developing and fairly sharing the resources.

Cambodia has initiated compulsory conciliation proceedings under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in connection with the longstanding maritime dispute. Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said the scope of the process was limited to delimiting the maritime boundary between Cambodia and Thailand in the Gulf of Thailand.

“Thailand joins this conciliation process in good faith and fully takes into account the provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea,” Sihasak said. He added that Bangkok had initially proposed holding direct talks on the maritime boundaries before moving to the UN mechanism.

Cambodia and Thailand have claimed an area of about 26,000 square kilometers in the Gulf of Thailand for more than 25 years. The disputed area is believed to contain about 12 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and substantial oil reserves, with a total estimated value of approximately $300 billion.

In 2001, the two countries signed an agreement establishing a framework for jointly developing energy resources in the zone known as the “overlapping claims area.” Thailand canceled the agreement in May last year following border clashes between the two countries that resulted in casualties.

Under the conciliation mechanism of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, a panel of independent experts examines the dispute and prepares recommendations. The panel’s findings are not legally binding on the parties. The mechanism has reportedly been used only once before, in resolving East Timor’s decades-long maritime dispute with Australia.