By Hamidah Atan and Ridzwan Abdullah
The News Straits Times Online (Malaysia)
PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi wants Thailand and Cambodia to translate Asean's "friendly attitude and philosophy" into action in addressing an ongoing border dispute that intensified last week after a deadly gun battle.
This message would be conveyed to the prime ministers of both countries by foreign minister Datuk Seri Rais Yatim, who is scheduled to meet the two leaders in the next few days.
Rais, met before flying to Bangkok yesterday, said Kuala Lumpur expressed hope for both neighbours to avoid the use of arms or violence in settling their border problems.
He said Malaysia was also hoping that both Thailand and Cambodia could translate the wishes of other Asean colleagues in a truly Asean manner.
"I am taking the message of the prime minister to the Thai and later, the Cambodian prime minister. The message is simple --that both of them should translate the friendly attitude and philosophy of Asean."
The same views -- and hope -- were expressed by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who said Rais' visits were in accordance with the Asean charter.
What was happening between the two Asean countries, if left unresolved, could end up having repercussions for the 10-member regional grouping, Najib said.
"The dispute could mar Asean as an organisation," he said at the launch of the Maritime Institute of Malaysia's Centre for Straits of Malacca.
It was reported that a brief gunfight erupted between Thai and Cambodian soldiers last week over disputed land near the centuries-old Preah Vihear temple, sparking fears of war.
Two Cambodian soldiers were killed and 10 wounded from both sides.
The World Court awarded the 11th century temple to Cambodia in 1962, but sovereignty over surrounding land has never been clearly resolved.
Najib did not specifically state whether Malaysia was planning to play a mediator role in the dispute.
However, he pointed out that a main thrust of the Asean charter, in which Indonesia was the final signatory after ratifying their charter yesterday, calls for peaceful resolution of all conflicts.
"Even if there were bilateral issues, they must look for a mechanism to resolve their conflicts and avoid violence."
The charter requires Asean to guarantee democracy and human rights and aims for the creation of a free trade zone by 2015.
A proposal for the removal of non-interference policy, which had been central to the grouping since its formation in the 1967, was also adopted last year.
Rais, meanwhile, said Malaysia would continue to put forward constructive ideas in Asean.
"We hope our friends in Asean will do the same, even though through their own small means and meet leaders of both countries to prevent the involvement of firearms.
"We hope more friends from the region can contribute towards that as Asean has been holding dearly to peace and harmony."
Rais said the cabinet directed him to go personally to present Kuala Lumpur's hope and endeavours for Thailand and Cambodia to reach a peaceful settlement.
Earlier, Rais met several representatives and ambassadors from the United States and Caribbean countries.
He said he made it very clear to them that every country must respect the sovereignty of other countries.
"I stressed to them the importance to be rid of Islamophobia, or hatred towards Islamic nations. The world must interact through meetings or conferences."
This message would be conveyed to the prime ministers of both countries by foreign minister Datuk Seri Rais Yatim, who is scheduled to meet the two leaders in the next few days.
Rais, met before flying to Bangkok yesterday, said Kuala Lumpur expressed hope for both neighbours to avoid the use of arms or violence in settling their border problems.
He said Malaysia was also hoping that both Thailand and Cambodia could translate the wishes of other Asean colleagues in a truly Asean manner.
"I am taking the message of the prime minister to the Thai and later, the Cambodian prime minister. The message is simple --that both of them should translate the friendly attitude and philosophy of Asean."
The same views -- and hope -- were expressed by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who said Rais' visits were in accordance with the Asean charter.
What was happening between the two Asean countries, if left unresolved, could end up having repercussions for the 10-member regional grouping, Najib said.
"The dispute could mar Asean as an organisation," he said at the launch of the Maritime Institute of Malaysia's Centre for Straits of Malacca.
It was reported that a brief gunfight erupted between Thai and Cambodian soldiers last week over disputed land near the centuries-old Preah Vihear temple, sparking fears of war.
Two Cambodian soldiers were killed and 10 wounded from both sides.
The World Court awarded the 11th century temple to Cambodia in 1962, but sovereignty over surrounding land has never been clearly resolved.
Najib did not specifically state whether Malaysia was planning to play a mediator role in the dispute.
However, he pointed out that a main thrust of the Asean charter, in which Indonesia was the final signatory after ratifying their charter yesterday, calls for peaceful resolution of all conflicts.
"Even if there were bilateral issues, they must look for a mechanism to resolve their conflicts and avoid violence."
The charter requires Asean to guarantee democracy and human rights and aims for the creation of a free trade zone by 2015.
A proposal for the removal of non-interference policy, which had been central to the grouping since its formation in the 1967, was also adopted last year.
Rais, meanwhile, said Malaysia would continue to put forward constructive ideas in Asean.
"We hope our friends in Asean will do the same, even though through their own small means and meet leaders of both countries to prevent the involvement of firearms.
"We hope more friends from the region can contribute towards that as Asean has been holding dearly to peace and harmony."
Rais said the cabinet directed him to go personally to present Kuala Lumpur's hope and endeavours for Thailand and Cambodia to reach a peaceful settlement.
Earlier, Rais met several representatives and ambassadors from the United States and Caribbean countries.
He said he made it very clear to them that every country must respect the sovereignty of other countries.
"I stressed to them the importance to be rid of Islamophobia, or hatred towards Islamic nations. The world must interact through meetings or conferences."
2 comments:
Thanks, Mr. Prime Minister, for your concern over Cambodian-Thai conflict.
I think you may be pretty well aware of the root causes of the problem. But, I wish to reiterate for you and the world that it is Thailand, not Cambodia, who was, is and will be the problem. Needless to say more, I'd like you to look into the political and historical conduct of Thailand towards its neighbors--all the countries surrounding and sharing borders with Thailand--as a good example. And as it can be seen clearly that because of its greedy, hypocretic, vicious, cunning attitude, Thailand has never been liked by its neighbors, not at all. It is a race good at exploiting, bullying its less powerful small neighbors, very good at kowtowing to more influential nations for its own gains, and very good at twisting the history and altering the truth.
So, all I want to say is that any dealings with Thailand on any matters of national importance cannot be trusted.
It's NO good, because Thailand is NO good as a nation.
--From Khmer Student with education home and abroad
10:58 am
your are right I echo you.
The ASEAN is worthless. They only protect their interest, that's all.
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