ASEAN to hold emergency talks

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July 8th Bangkok Post
ASEAN to hold emergency talks

Foreign ministers to gather as conflict throws cloud over membership 
issue

Bangkok Post and Agencies


Asean foreign ministers will hold an emergency meeting on Thursday to 
discuss the situation in Cambodia and to review its entry into the 
grouping, Foreign Minister Prachuab Chaiyasarn and Malaysian Foreign 
Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said yesterday.

The Malaysian news agency Bernama reported the Malaysian foreign 
minister as saying late last night in Croatia that ministers of the 
seven-member grouping were in touch with each other and that ASEAN would 
issue a statement in Kuala Lumpur today about the strife in Cambodia.

Cambodia, which was plunged into turmoil following two days of fighting 
in the capital Phnom Penh over the weekend, was to join ASEAN later this 
month along with Burma and Laos.

Mr Badawi in his comments to Bernama did not indicate whether ASEAN 
would reconsider plans to admit its last three members as a group at the 
annual ASEAN meeting.

Following violent clashes in Phnom Penh over the weekend between forces 
loyal to Cambodia's rival co-premiers, Asean foreign ministers have been 
frantically trying to arrange a meeting.

Mr Prachuab said he spoke on the telephone yesterday with Indonesian 
Foreign Minister Ali Alatas in Jakarta who called for an "emergency 
meeting" of the ministers.

"I think there is a need for Asean foreign ministers to gather, even 
though only for a short period, to discuss the situation in Cambodia," 
Reuters quoted the Indonesian Foreign Minister as saying.

Mr Prachuab reaffirmed Thailand's support for Cambodia joining the 
grouping as stated by Asean leaders in the informal summit in December 
in Jakarta.

"Nevertheless, in view of the latest circumstances, Thailand will have 
to closely monitor the situation and consult with other Asean countries 
on the latest developments in Cambodia including the question of the 
timing of its admission," he said.

ASEAN's statement would express concern over the situation in Cambodia 
and call for reconciliation between the conflicting sides, Mr Prachuab 
indicated.

He also expressed "grave concerns" about the situation in Cambodia and 
called for the Cambodian government to protect the lives and safety of 
Thai and foreign nationals in Cambodia.

He also urged all parties to resolve their differences by peaceful 
means.

According to the Thai embassy in Cambodia, a total of 707 Thais are in 
that country.

Mr Prachuab said that if Mr Badawi was unavailable because of his trip 
to Zagreb, his deputy could chair the emergency meeting.

Malaysia currently is chairman of the standing committee of the 
Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Asean foreign ministers agreed on May 31 to accept Cambodia, Laos and 
Burma into the grouping at the annual meeting of the foreign ministers 
this month. The date of the ceremony has been set for July 24-25.

Mr Prachuab said the situation was calm yesterday but Thai planes were 
ready to fly to Phnom Penh to evacuate Thais who want to fly out of 
Cambodia after the airport is reopened.

He said he had directed the Ministry to closely monitor the situation 
and report on the latest developments to today's cabinet meeting. A 
ministry source said the National Security Council would brief the 
government on the situation in Cambodia today.

The cabinet is expected to endorse the Asean decision but it might be 
delayed due to the uncertain situation in Cambodia, the source added.

Philippine Foreign Secretary Domingo Siazon said Asean's decision to 
admit Cambodia as a member could still change depending on the internal 
situation in the country.

"If this fighting does not stop, obviously, Asean members will have to 
rethink this seriously...because they may not be capable of dealing with 
a situation of war inside the country," Siazon said.

Vietnam yesterday expressed its "deep preoccupation" with the fighting 
in Cambodia and called on warring factions loyal to the country's two 
prime ministers to show restraint.

"Vietnam would like the Cambodian factions to show restraint and to try 
hard to find a peaceful solution to the current situation so the 
Cambodian people can know peace and stability necessary for the 
reconstruction of the country," a spokesman said.

Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh yesterday evaluated the development 
in Cambodia at yesterday's meeting of economic ministers and affirmed 
that Thailand would not interfere in Cambodia.

At Government House yesterday morning, Mr Prachuab said Thailand had 
suggested at the Kuala Lumpur meeting that Asean delay the decision on 
the new membership issue until December, in order to have more time to 
evaluate the situation in Cambodia, but it could not resist the majority 
who favoured the early entry, he said.

Indonesian President Suharto yesterday discussed Cambodia with visiting 
Japanese vice-foreign minister Kazuo Ogura, and both expressed hope that 
Asean "will be able to make a positive contribution in finding a 
solution to the problem," according to AFP.

An intelligence source closely monitoring the situation in Cambodia told 
the Bangkok Post that the situation had put Asean in a difficult 
position because any decision to delay the admission of Cambodia would 
make Malaysia lose face.

It would affect the entry of Laos also, as Laotian officials made it 
clear before the May 31 meeting that Vientiane wanted to see all three 
countries enter Asean as new members at the same time, another watcher 
told the Bangkok Post.

John Funston, senior analyst at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies 
in Singapore, told AFP that "if the factions are so divided that they 
can't come up with somebody to represent Cambodia at the foreign 
ministers' meeting, the matter is taken out of Asean's hands."

"They will have to postpone it until later this year," Mr Funston added.

Political economist John Avila of the private Center for Research and 
Communications in Manila told AFP that Asean was in a "difficult 
position" and "the prospects of another civil war in Cambodia would put 
strains on the entire Asean membership."

On the other hand, rejecting membership would be an embarrassment for 
Asean leaders, who have pushed for a unification of all 10 southeast 
Asian countries, Mr Avila told AFP.

"Asean leaders have already said that Cambodia, Burma and Laos will be 
accepted this year, the 30th anniversary of Asean. This symbolism is 
important," he said.

Mr Avila warned that "a delay for Cambodia will be a delay for Burma and 
Laos" since the admission of all three was to be carried out at the same 
time.

An Asean analyst told the Bangkok Post yesterday that the invitation for 
Cambodia to join Asean was extended to both prime ministers, Prince 
Ranariddh and Hun Sen. "As long as there is no change in the government 
then it would be difficult for Asean to exclude Cambodia," the analyst 
said. 

If Funcinpec agrees to nominate a replacement for Prince Ranariddh then 
Asean would have no choice but to accept Cambodia for membership. But if 
there is no replacement and Mr Hun Sen is the only prime minister in 
power Asean will face difficulties, the analyst said.

Hun Sen appeared to have wrested control of the capital from Prince 
Ranariddh's forces following fierce battles on Sunday and observers said 
he appeared to be in complete control by last night.

More than a 100 third-country and Thai nationals have fled overland into 
eastern Thailand since Sunday following the spread of the fighting from 
the Cambodian capital into the country's northwestern provinces.


"THERE WILL BE NO REAL DEMOCRACY IF WE CAN'T GURANTEE THE RIGHTS OF THE 
MINORITY ETHNIC PEOPLE.  ONLY UNDERSTANDING THEIR SUFFERING AND HELPING 
THEM TO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHTS WILL ASSIST PREVENTING FROM THE 
DISINTEGRATION AND THE SESESSION."  "WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THEIR 
STRENGTH, WE CAN'T TOPPLE THE SLORC AND BURMA WILL NEVER BE IN PEACE."


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