Suthep Denies Secret Talks With P. Penh Negotiations Stalled Over Marine Oil, Gas

Democrat MP for Surat Thani Suthep Thaugsuban denies he held secret talks with Cambodian officials about oil and gas interests in the overlapping marine area during the tenure of the Democrat-led government. Mr Suthep, a former deputy prime minister, conceded yesterday he met Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An, who oversees energy affairs, in Hong Kong, for informal talks. But he had never held “secret” talks with Sok An about the maritime issue. The Cambodian National Petroleum Authority, a government body under the supervision of Sok An, said on Tuesday its government would welcome a resumption of negotiations with Thailand on resolving claims to the 27,000 square kilometre stretch of seabed considered rich in oil and gas. The authority said discussions held from 2001 to 2007 had been fruitful, adding that the Abhisit Vejjajiva government, which took power in 2008 and had rocky relations with Phnom Penh, had sought to resolve the dispute prior to this year’s election. To that end, it said, Bangkok and Phnom Penh had held secret talks to try to reach a deal.

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