Published: 2/11/2010
via CAAI
The joint sitting of the House and the Senate on Tuesday resolved to set up a joint committee to study three memorandums of understanding (MoUs) signed by the Thai-Cambodian Joint Border Commission (JBC) and report in 30 days.
The three memos must be endorsed by parliament under Article 190 of the constitution in order to go into effect.
The resolution, passed by a vote of 260-10 with 57 abstentions, is for a joint parliament committee - comprising 23 MPs and seven senators - to be set up to study the three memos for 30 days.
The joint sitting, chaired by Parliament President Chai Chidchob, began at 9.30am.
Some of the lawmakers called for the government to withdraw the three MoUs, reasoning that the matter required careful consideration as a number of People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) protesters were gathering to oppose them in front of the parliament.
There might be problems if they were endorsed right away, they said.
Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said the government would look after the country's best interests in handling the demarcation of the border in dispute.
"The past disputes showed that a clearly defined border line would prevent and ease tensions between the two countries. It would also ensure mutual security along the border," Mr Kasit said.
He said the government has opted not to station soldiers in the disputed area because it wants to solve the border conflict through peaceful means. Doing this does not mean a loss of territory.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said he had three recent meetings with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, who now understands that the three JBC memos under the 2000 MOU must undergo a parliamentary process, as required by the constitution.
It is necessary for Thailand to show sincerely that it wants to use bilateral mechanisms to solve problems, he said.
Mr Abhisit said he had no objection to parliament setting up a joint committee to study the MoUs.
In a subsequent vote, the joint sitting resolved to up the joint committee to study the memos for 30 days.
The 30-member joint panel has 30 days to review the three memorandums of understanding (MoUs).
Most of the PAD supporters outside the parliament dispersed in the afternoon after the House resolved to set up a joint committee to review three memos of the JBC.
The yellow-shirt PAD claims the MoUs put Thailand at a disadvantage in settling its border dispute with Cambodia and demand the parliament rejects them.
PAD spokesman Panthep Puapongpan said the setting up of a panel to review the controversial border MoUs with Cambodia was just a government's effort to buy time.
Mr Panthep said the panel should comprise of 15 senators and 15 MPs, but instead it was decided by the House that the committee will comprise of seven senators and 23 MPs.
He said that 15 of the 23 MPs are from the government.
After learning of the parliament resolution, the PAD made an appointment to rally again at Makhawan Rangsan bridge on Dec 11.
Maj Gen Chamlong Srimuang told the protesters to be prepared for a prolonged rally.
The mass rally will not end until the government revokes the MoUs and cooperates with the army to push Cambodians who have settled in the disputed land along the border back to their own country, he said.
However, pro-PAD Thai Patriots Network leader Veera Somkwamkid said his supporters will not disperse from the area in front of the parliament until the two demands are met.
A few hundred supporters of the network remained there as of Tuesday afternoon.
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