Interim Mekong Committee (1978–1995) Mekong River Commission

mekong river

the rise of khmer rouge made obvious cambodia unable participate in such organization foreseeable future in april 1977 other 3 riparians agreed declaration concerning interim mekong committee, resulted in establishment of interim mekong committee in january 1978. weakened interim organization able study large-scale projects , implement few small-scale projects, exclusively in thailand; instead institutional role of organization shifted largely data collection. 1987 revised indicative basin plan—the high-water mark of interim committee’s activity—scaled ambition of 1970 plan, envisioning cascade of smaller dams along mekong’s mainstream, divided 29 projects, 26 of strictly national in scope. revised indicative basin plan can seen laying groundwork cambodia’s readmission. indeed, supreme national council of cambodia requested readmission in june 1991.

however, cambodia’s readmission largely side-show masked true issue facing riparians: rapid economic growth experienced in thailand relative neighbors had made modest sovereignty limitations imposed regime seem undesirable in bangkok. thailand , other 3 riparians (led vietnam, powerful of remaining 3 state) locked in disagreement on whether cambodia should readmitted under terms of 1957 statute (and more importantly, 1975 joint declaration), thailand preferring negotiate entirely new framework allow planned kong-chi-moon project (and others) proceed without vietnamese veto. article 10 of joint declaration, requiring unanimous consent mainstream development , inter-basin diversion proved main sticking point of cambodia’s readmission, thailand perhaps prepared walk away regime altogether. conflict came head in april 1992 when thailand forced executive agent of committee, chuck lankester, resign , leave country after barring secretariat march 1992 meeting. prompting series of meetings organized undp (which terrified regime in had invested might disappear), culminating in april 1995 agreement on cooperation sustainable development of mekong river basin signed cambodia, laos, thailand, , vietnam in chiang rai, thailand, creating mekong river commission.

since dramatic confrontation of 1992, several seemingly overlapping organizations created, including asian development bank’s greater mekong subregion (adb-gms, 1992), japan’s forum of comprehensive development of indochina (fcdi, 1993), quadripite economic cooperation (qec, 1993), association of south east asian nations , japan’s ministry of international trade , industry’s working group on economic cooperation in indochina , burma (aem-miti, 1994), , (almost finalized) myanmar , singapore’s asean-mekong basin development cooperation (asean-me, 1996).