The Associated Press
SINGAPORE: Southeast Asian nations grappled Tuesday with the vexing issue of democracy in Myanmar and a simmering border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia ahead of a key security meeting of regional superpowers.
Thailand and Cambodia are locked in a dangerous military standoff over a piece of land near an ancient temple. Bilateral talks on Monday failed to resolve the dispute.
"What we need is for Cambodia and Thailand to really exercise their utmost restraint ... to prevent any outbreak of open conflict," Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda told reporters.
There must be a "cooling off" by the two sides, said Wirajuda, who is here to attend the annual foreign ministers' meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations through Thursday.
ASEAN's efforts on Myanmar also received a setback when the country's junta said pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi may be detained until late May 2009, rather than through the end of 2008, as had been reported earlier.
The clarification came as foreign ministers of ASEAN's remaining nine member countries on Monday "urged Myanmar to take bolder steps toward a peaceful transition to democracy in the near future."
ASEAN members usually avoid interfering in each other's domestic affairs, although that appears to be changing in a bid to give the group greater relevance.
A glimmer of hope for Suu Kyi's early release was raised on Sunday when the ministers thought they heard their Myanmar counterpart, Nyan Win, say at a dinner that the Nobel Peace laureate can be freed by December 2008.
But Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo, who passed on the remarks to the media, clarified the next day that Nyan Win had been misheard, and that the detention will last until at least November 2009.
Despite ASEAN's frustrations with the junta, the regional grouping has taken the lead in calling for international aid to help the victims of Cyclone Nargis, which devastated Myanmar's coastal regions in May.
On Monday, it released a joint report of a disaster assessment conducted with the United Nations and the Myanmar government, which says the survivors of the cyclone need at least US$1 billion in aid over the next three years.
Wirajuda said ASEAN expects to be contacted soon by the United Nations with a request to help resolve the Thai-Cambodia dispute over an area near a temple that was recently designated a World Heritage Site.
Cambodia's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday it had requested an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council for help in resolving the border issue. Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong also asked ASEAN host Singapore to form a regional inter-ministerial group to help end the crisis.
ASEAN "could not stand idly by without damaging its credibility," said Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. "The situation has escalated dangerously," he said.
Also Tuesday, ASEAN ministers will meet with their counterparts from China, Japan and South Korea for wider discussions on regional security. On top of the agenda is likely to be North Korea's nuclear program.
The topic will take center-stage at another meeting on the sidelines on Wednesday between U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, North Korean Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun and their counterparts from China, Japan, South Korea and Russia - the participants in six-party nuclear talks.
It will be the highest-level meeting in the six-country negotiations, which began in 2003 with the aim of convincing North Korea to dismantle its nuclear program.
The meetings will culminate Thursday with the ASEAN Regional Forum, the premier security dialogue of Asia-Pacific between ASEAN and 16 other countries plus the European Union. It includes the United States and Russia.
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Associated Press writers Christopher Bodeen and Vijay Joshi contributed to this report.
Thailand and Cambodia are locked in a dangerous military standoff over a piece of land near an ancient temple. Bilateral talks on Monday failed to resolve the dispute.
"What we need is for Cambodia and Thailand to really exercise their utmost restraint ... to prevent any outbreak of open conflict," Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda told reporters.
There must be a "cooling off" by the two sides, said Wirajuda, who is here to attend the annual foreign ministers' meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations through Thursday.
ASEAN's efforts on Myanmar also received a setback when the country's junta said pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi may be detained until late May 2009, rather than through the end of 2008, as had been reported earlier.
The clarification came as foreign ministers of ASEAN's remaining nine member countries on Monday "urged Myanmar to take bolder steps toward a peaceful transition to democracy in the near future."
ASEAN members usually avoid interfering in each other's domestic affairs, although that appears to be changing in a bid to give the group greater relevance.
A glimmer of hope for Suu Kyi's early release was raised on Sunday when the ministers thought they heard their Myanmar counterpart, Nyan Win, say at a dinner that the Nobel Peace laureate can be freed by December 2008.
But Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo, who passed on the remarks to the media, clarified the next day that Nyan Win had been misheard, and that the detention will last until at least November 2009.
Despite ASEAN's frustrations with the junta, the regional grouping has taken the lead in calling for international aid to help the victims of Cyclone Nargis, which devastated Myanmar's coastal regions in May.
On Monday, it released a joint report of a disaster assessment conducted with the United Nations and the Myanmar government, which says the survivors of the cyclone need at least US$1 billion in aid over the next three years.
Wirajuda said ASEAN expects to be contacted soon by the United Nations with a request to help resolve the Thai-Cambodia dispute over an area near a temple that was recently designated a World Heritage Site.
Cambodia's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday it had requested an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council for help in resolving the border issue. Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong also asked ASEAN host Singapore to form a regional inter-ministerial group to help end the crisis.
ASEAN "could not stand idly by without damaging its credibility," said Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. "The situation has escalated dangerously," he said.
Also Tuesday, ASEAN ministers will meet with their counterparts from China, Japan and South Korea for wider discussions on regional security. On top of the agenda is likely to be North Korea's nuclear program.
The topic will take center-stage at another meeting on the sidelines on Wednesday between U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, North Korean Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun and their counterparts from China, Japan, South Korea and Russia - the participants in six-party nuclear talks.
It will be the highest-level meeting in the six-country negotiations, which began in 2003 with the aim of convincing North Korea to dismantle its nuclear program.
The meetings will culminate Thursday with the ASEAN Regional Forum, the premier security dialogue of Asia-Pacific between ASEAN and 16 other countries plus the European Union. It includes the United States and Russia.
___
Associated Press writers Christopher Bodeen and Vijay Joshi contributed to this report.
13 comments:
After the poll on Sunday, the PM of Cambodia will declare victory, and then will make his anouncement of joint development with the Thai company. This is a win-win situation for the Cambodian PM and the former and sitting Thai PMs. The ordinary people of Thailand and Cambodia will be a big losers.
Why would people be a losers. The area can be a big tourist attraction if developed skillfully by both sides.
I am ashamed of my own Thai government for having caused this problem. It is about time we Thai learn to take history as it happened. The temple and surroundig areas belong to Cambodia. If it belonged to us, our soldiers would have moved in 100 years ago. After all, we Thai have got so much already from the Khmer, land, culture, language, people, temples. About time we become good Buddhists.
Waraporn
The fucken Thaicong think that they are going for a picnic in Cambodia! Ahahhahhahahahha
Yeh...the Thaicong are going to a picnic and to pick the wild flowers and to look at the birds and the bees while not aware that there are million and million of landmines beneath their feet! Ahhahahahhahah
The fucken war hasn’t started yet and the fucken Thaicong have suffered casualty from stepping on the landmines! Ahhahahahhahah
Waraporn, your thoughts are very rational. Hope the other thai people have a rational mind like you.
We khmer should do win-win to solve problem. It's shame of us to start sending troops the thai mount. We should realize that we should not kill our people there. Today is the history of future. Will we be more proud that we bring peace to Khmer-Thai border with ourselves. Thai and khmer are brothers which has problem after colonization of french. We should not extend hate feeling in both countries. I don't think gov. should lead our people to hate and war.
We khmer should understand that no matter our cultural arts go far to USA or to another side of the world. That place is not Cambodia. We should concentrate developing our country instead of make trouble between us and other countries. History is not today anymore. See how today is. How people in each country help each other when another country have problem. Better stop to beat others for only for our face. For thai mount, we can trade in their land and bring wellness to country instead of the death in war.
ASEAN must uphold its Non-Interference bylaws. Otherwise, everything will fall apart, and everyone loses.
to 12:48 PM
Your mouth is stink. If you're khmer, you should be ashame for having that mentality.
We Thai should do win-win to solve problem. It's shame of us to start sending troops the Khmer mount. We should realize that we should not kill our people there. Today is the history of future. Will we be more proud that we bring peace to Khmer-Thai border with ourselves. Thai and khmer are brothers which has problem after colonization of french. We should not extend hate feeling in both countries. I don't think gov. should lead our people to hate and war.
What Khmer's mountain? They don't live there. They have no market, farm, clinic, water, ... . How can it be their mountain?
4.22PM fuckin prick, we have been living for years. You had stolen so mcuh ferom us from Nong Chan, Kok Kyoung, Ta Moan, Sdock kak Thom, we will take back.
You'd better learn how to tell the truth because you are a buddhist.
Oh yeah? then why no one using Cambodia dialect in those areas? Khmer Leu and Khmer Mon are independent from the monkey in Cambodia. So, they get the fuck out of their land and Stop embarrassing yourself with stupid fairy tales.
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