Global panel to hear Cambodia, Thailand sea dispute

Cambodia and Thailand will appear before an international panel in Singapore this week to resolve a longstanding dispute over valuable maritime resources. Phnom Penh took the unprecedented step of initiating a UN-backed process at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) after Bangkok unilaterally withdrew from an agreement to explore for energy resources in the Gulf of Thailand.

The Gulf of Thailand spans approximately 27,000 square kilometers, a resource-rich area claimed by both nations. Thailand's decision to pull out of the 2001 memorandum of understanding, or MoU 44, stemmed from a lack of progress in implementing it, according to Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. The dispute has escalated into two rounds of clashes last year, resulting in dozens of deaths and displacing over a million people.

Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet stated that withdrawing from the agreement was also a move to protect the country's sovereignty and maritime rights in accordance with international law. The PCA, established in 1899, is the world's oldest arbitration court and is the most appropriate forum for resolving disputes between countries and private parties through referring to contracts, special agreements, and various treaties, including UNCLOS.

The conciliation panel's recommendations are not binding and will take about a year to be decided. Cambodia hopes the process will lead to a fair and lasting resolution of their maritime differences, paving the way for the exploration of significant oil and gas resources, estimated to be worth around $300 billion by Thailand's energy ministry.