AFP
JAKARTA - Southeast Asian foreign ministers will discuss a deadly border conflict between Cambodia and Thailand when they meet in Jakarta later Tuesday, officials said.
But with Thailand steadfastly rejecting any outside mediation it is unclear what the other eight ministers from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) can do to end the row.
"ASEAN foreign ministers are gathering in Jakarta for an Indonesia-facilitated urgent meeting... to discuss possible solutions to the recent border conflict," the ASEAN secretariat said in a statement.
The conflict - which has seen exchanges of small arms, mortars and artillery - centres on the 900-year-old Hindu temple of Preah Vihear and its surrounding area, which is claimed by both sides.
Thailand and Cambodia have each accused the other of starting the clashes, which have killed at least 10 people and displaced thousands on both sides of the frontier.
Phnom Penh has called for third-party mediation to help achieve a permanent ceasefire but Bangkok insists the dispute should be resolved bilaterally, and has urged Cambodia to return to the negotiating table.
Tuesday's talks in Jakarta will be the first meeting between Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong and his Thai counterpart, Kasit Piromya, since they met behind closed doors at the UN Security Council a week ago.
The conflict is a test for ASEAN, which lacks any strong conflict resolution framework, and for founding member Indonesia which took over the chair of the block at the start of the year.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa attended the meeting in New York and has offered to mediate between the two sides.
"There is a strong desire to settle differences through peaceful means as agreed by all ASEAN member states under the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia," he said, according to the ASEAN statement.
The minister's spokesman, Michael Tene, said the talks would explore ways ASEAN can "facilitate and create conducive conditions for the two countries to carry out... negotiations".
"The UN supports ASEAN's efforts to facilitate a peaceful resolution to the conflict and the meeting today will discuss the modalities," he told AFP ahead of the ministerial talks in Jakarta.
Asked whether Thailand would agree to outside mediation, he said: "Let's just say now that both countries have accepted facilitation from Indonesia." Ties between the neighbours have been strained since Preah Vihear was granted UN World Heritage status in July 2008.
The World Court ruled in 1962 that the temple belonged to Cambodia, but both countries claim ownership of a 4.6-square-kilometre surrounding area.
3 comments:
Why do Kos Trol, sea and lands proximately over 10 000 km2 have been lost to Vietnam by who treaty? Why don’t Cambodia goverment transparencies explain to Cambodia army at front line and the whole nation about this? Why don't they include this into education system? Why?
Cambodian armies are fighting at front line for 4.6 km2 and what's about over 10 000km2 of Cambodia to Vietnam. Nobody dare to talk about it! Why? Cambodian armies you are decide the fate of your nation, Cambodian army as well as Cambodian people must rethink about this again and again. Is it fair?
Kos Trol, Sea and lands over 10 000km2 have been lost to Vietnam by who treaty at 1979 to 1985 treaty! Treaty! Cambodian army at front line as well as all Cambodian people must rethink again about these issues. Are Cambodian army fighting to protect the Cambodia Nation or protect a very small group that own big lands, big properties or only protecting a small group rather in the real name of protecting Khmer nation?
Cambodian army at front line suffer under rain, wind, bullets, bombs, lack of foods, lack of nutrition, their families have no health care help, no securities after they die but a very small group eat well, sleep well, sleep in first class hotel with air conditioning with young girls message, have super health care from oversea medical treatment, they are billionaires, millionaires who sell out the country to be rich and make Cambodian people suffer everyday as Cambodian people know already.
Who signed the treaty 1979-1985 that result lost over 10 000 km2 of Cambodia??? Why don't they transparency inform all Cambodian and Cambodian army at front line about these issues? Why don't include Kos Trol (Kos Trol size is bigger than the whole Phom Phen and bigger than Singapoor with heap of great natural resources) in education system in Cambodia.
Look at Hun Sen families, relatives; friends are billionaires, millionaires where do they get the money from if we all just get out of war with empty hands? Hun Sen always say in his speech Cambodia just get up from war, just get up from Zero with empty hands and how come they are billionaires, millionaires but 90% innocent Cambodian people are so poor struggling with living every day.
Smart Khmer girl Ms. Rattana Keo,
Dear All KI-Media readers
I have simple question, do you think that PM Hun Xen and PM Abhisit Vejjajiva are stealthy talking to each other (intelligence)? I think they both are best friends; they got benefit from each other. Look, what happened in Thai-Muslim's boundary right now? Thai PM killed some of the Muslim there, but in order to move the attention of Thai people from this murder, Thai PM’s trying to play with Khmer territory.
The same as Khmer PM, he afraid that Khmer people will wake up and knock him down just like Egypt, Tunia and the others countries in Middle East-revolution. That why he moved all the Khmer people attention to the border conflict.
Khmer oery, it time for us to knock the dictatorial regime down by using our democratic voices. I am sure US is going to help us to claim the victory of real freedom for Khmer and to destroy the injustice, dictatorial regime Khmer spirit land.
Attention: When ever Khmer gets Freedom and when Viet pro is not holding Cambodia anymore, the new Cambodia leader will get Kos Trol and others territories back from Vietnam and Thai (No more border dispute).
Please don’t just say, you really need to implement, and you will see the result from Khmer democratic voice of fighting for FREEDOM.
From KHMER FROM NOWHERE
BE BRAVE! DARE TO DIE For FREEDOM,LIBERTY,JUSTICE,and KHMER NATION.
BURN YOUR HEART UP WITH ANGER AGAINST
THAI AND VIETNAM.
Thai took all NOKOR RAJA PLATEAU by
FORCE the king SISOWATH asked Thai to return back to Kampuchea,but FRANCE took back SIEM REAP,B.BANG,and PURSAT
instead.
Vietnam took Kampuchea Krom in 1949
,FRANCE gave to Vietnam without asking Khmer people;and some islands and water sea to Vietnam.
COME ON! WAKE UP!STAND UP! RISE UP!
AGAINST HUN SEN AND VIETNAM IN CAMBODIA.
FIVE MILLION KHMER PEOPLE RISE UP!
AGAINST HUN SEN AND VIETNAM IN CAMBODIA.
BRAVO! KHMER LOVE KHMER!
DIE FOR FREEDOM,LIBERTY,JUSTICE
AND FOR KHMER LAND!
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