FORMER Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat criticised Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa for telling ambassadors and consuls general that “sometimes we have to play outside the rules. The current world is very much outside the rules. We have to adhere to national interests” while urging both Thailand and Cambodia to use the Asean Regional Forum as a platform to settle their differences, TV Channel 7 said this evening (June 9).
In his last social media post before cutting off his own Internet today, Pita mentioned that in a world that is “without principles”, countries that are not superpowers must “adhere to principles” more firmly.
He has also been monitoring the situation on the Thai-Cambodian border and exchanged ideas with many diplomatic experts in the Asean region to find a way out, or de-escalation steps or a temporary end game, that will help both sides reduce conflict peacefully and not lose face.
As he then saw that Asean Regional Forum (ARF) will be meeting again in about a month’s time in Malaysia, he thinks this should be the platform to be used to the fullest potential.
ARF, a regional security platform established since 1994, was specifically designed for “preventive diplomacy” as a space for countries in the region to open up and talk before conflicts escalate. This platform is based on the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC), which is an Asean treaty that emphasises the prohibition of the use of force and insists on solving problems peacefully in this region.
“Of course, many people may question the effectiveness of Asean, but this time, I believe that a legitimate, universal principle should be used, especially by the governments of both countries.
“Personally, I still can’t believe that the Thai Foreign Minister would say what he did a month before the ARF meeting. If we compare it to Cambodia having an international narrative focusing on the ICJ (International Court of Justice), we should have our own international narrative that has equal or greater universal legitimacy.”
CAPTION:
Former Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat. Top photo: Amarin TV, Front Page photo: TV Channel 7
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