Madel Sabater
Manila Bulletin
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan on Saturday called on all Foreign Ministers of the 10-member regional bloc to help Cambodia and Thailand settle their bilateral dispute “amicably” as soon as possible.
Pitsuwan expressed concern over the escalation of tensions between Cambodia and Thailand, appealing to both countries to exercise maximum restraint.
In a letter to ASEAN Foreign Ministers, the ASEAN Secretary General said he has received many inquiries and expressions of concern from ASEAN’s Dialogue Partners and friends “over the apparent deterioration of relations between Cambodia and Thailand.” Both countries have recalled their Ambassadors earlier this week.
“We in ASEAN cannot afford to be seen as being so seriously divided prior to the upcoming Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders Meeting and the historic ASEAN-US Leaders Meeting in Singapore this month,” Surin said.
Citing the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) of 1976, Surin said all other Member States in ASEAN are obliged to offer assistance to help fellow Member States settle their bilateral disputes, even when the two disputing parties cannot agree to refer their dispute to any regional means of dispute settlement.
Pitsuwan expressed concern over the escalation of tensions between Cambodia and Thailand, appealing to both countries to exercise maximum restraint.
In a letter to ASEAN Foreign Ministers, the ASEAN Secretary General said he has received many inquiries and expressions of concern from ASEAN’s Dialogue Partners and friends “over the apparent deterioration of relations between Cambodia and Thailand.” Both countries have recalled their Ambassadors earlier this week.
“We in ASEAN cannot afford to be seen as being so seriously divided prior to the upcoming Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders Meeting and the historic ASEAN-US Leaders Meeting in Singapore this month,” Surin said.
Citing the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) of 1976, Surin said all other Member States in ASEAN are obliged to offer assistance to help fellow Member States settle their bilateral disputes, even when the two disputing parties cannot agree to refer their dispute to any regional means of dispute settlement.
4 comments:
ASEAN created by Thailand, and for Thailand benefits. When there is problem at border between Cambodia and Thailand, Thailand asked ASEAN not to get involve. Why is now?
If ASEAN wants to play a meaningful mediation role, Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan must STEP DOWN first because of his constant BIAS in favor of thailand.
Thailand created all these messes now they are asking for help. When Cambodia asked for help to mediate about border issues around Preah Vihear, they said no... Cambodia do not need one. Now the row has potential to grow even more messier which could lead to even more trouble in the future between the two bickering countries. If Thailand could have done a little more just and more fair things would not lead to this mess.
The Thais are a bunch of loonies ultra-nationalists...What is the matter with them??? It's true that Cambodia do not have economic experts, that's why Samdech Hun Sen imports foreign know-how like Lee Myung Bak and now Thaksin. The Thais are ingrateful bastards who owe so much to Cambodia for the past 800 years. They are imperialists who can not exert control beyond their borders...Instead of fostering fraternal friendship between our two peoples (Khmer-Thai) which share so much in common, they choose the wrong path to self-destruction and humiliation. In the eyes of the world, they are indeed a crazy disturbed people...
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