Mustaqim Adamrah and Abdul Khalik
The Jakarta Post, Nusa Dua/Jakarta
Indonesia is expected to escalate efforts to mediate the ongoing border conflict between Cambodia and Thailand when it hosts two ASEAN meetings in Nusa Dua, Bali, next week.
Expectations are also high for Indonesia to seek a role in mediating the Korean Peninsula conflict and the South China Sea dispute at the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the largest security forum in the Asia-Pacific.
Foreign ministers from every ASEAN country except Thailand are expected to attend the AMM, while representatives of all 27 ARF members, including US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have confirmed their participation.
However, Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said there would be no talks to diffuse the Korean Peninsula situation despite the expected presence of foreign ministers from all the nations of the Six Party Talks — China, Japan, North Korea, Russia, South Korea and the US.
“To avoid any misunderstandings, there is no plan for a Six Party Talks meeting in Bali. Everyone will be there, but they are not going to meet in Bali,” Marty said as quoted by Reuters.
On the Thai-Cambodia dispute, Marty said he expected that the two nations would resume discussions after a new Thai government was formed in the wake of that nation’s election on July 3.
“We have to assure that the situation remains calm,” Marty told a press conference at the ministry on Thursday. “We’ll see what the new Thai government’s new policies will be. Hopefully, they will show their openness.”
However, the Thai-Cambodia border conflict will likely remain one of the issues to be discussed during the AMM when the meeting begins on Tuesday, with Indonesia, the current holder of ASEAN’s rotating chair, setting a lower bar for results in settling the conflict.
Ade Padmo Sarwono, the Foreign Ministry’s director for ASEAN political and security cooperation, said the border row would likely be raised in Bali.
“It is likely for the AMM to raise the Thai-Cambodia issue because we discussed that in a special [ASEAN] meeting on Feb. 22 and again following the ASEAN Summit [in May],” Ade told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.
The Thai-Cambodia border conflict might be raised among other regional and international issues during the exchange of views session, he said.
According to a source at the Embassy of Thailand to Indonesia, outgoing Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya would not attend the meetings in Bali.
Thailand would instead be represented by Chitriya Pinthong, the Thai Foreign Ministry’s deputy permanent secretary for foreign affairs and acting leader of the ARF senior officials’ meeting, according to the source.
Ade said that Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong would come to Bali after visiting the Hague for a hearing session at the International Court of Justice on Monday although he could not confirm if Hor would attend the AMM.
Repeated skirmishes have claimed 23 lives along the Thai-Cambodian border in the vicinity of three ancient temples — Preah Vihear, Ta Moan and Ta Krabey.
Bilateral negotiations between the conflicting parties have stalled since weeks before the Thai elections, which saw the landslide victory of Yingluck Shinawatra’s Puea Thai Party — also the party of Yingluck’s brother, former prime minister and graft fugitive Thaksin Shinawatra.
University of Indonesia Southeast Asian political expert Cecep Hidayat said the absence of the Thai foreign minister, although understandable, would definitely result in no consensus over the Thai-Cambodia conflict.
“There will be no improvements or developments if one of the conflicting parties is not present,” he told the Post.
“But at least it is an issue that is worth resolving if it’s discussed at a regional level. They can keep the results for later.”
2 comments:
Koh Tral Island must not be forgotten
By Ms. Rattana Keo
Why do Koh Tral Island, known in Vietnam as Phu Quoc, a sea and land area covering proximately over 30,000 km2 [Note: the actual land size of Koh Tral itself is 574 square kilometres (222 sq miles)] have been lost to Vietnam by whose treaty? Why don’t Cambodia government be transparent and 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 on the Thai border and what's about over 30,000km2 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?
Koh Tral Island, the sea and land area of over 30,000 square kilometres have been lost to Vietnam by the 1979 to 1985 treaties. The 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 protecting a very small group that own big lands, big properties or only protecting a small group but disguising as protecting the Khmer nation?
The Cambodian army at front lines suffer under rain, wind, bullets, bombs, lack of foods, lack of nutrition and their families have no health care assistance, no securities after they died but a very small group eat well, sleep well, sleep in first class hotel with air conditioning system with message from young girls, have first class medical care from oversea medical treatments, they are billionaires, millionaires who sell out the country to be rich and make the Cambodian people suffer everyday.
Who signed the treaty 1979-1985 that resulted in the loss over 30,000 km2 of Cambodia??? Why they are not being transparent and brave enough to inform all Cambodians and Cambodian army at front line about these issues? Why don't they include Koh Tral (Koh Tral size is bigger than the whole Phom Phen and bigger than Singapore [Note: Singapore's present land size is 704 km2 (271.8 sq mi)]) with heap of great natural resources, in the Cambodian education system?
Look at Hun Sen's families, relatives and friends- they are billionaires, millionaires. Where did they get the money from when we all just got out of war with empty hands [in 1979]? Hun Sen always say in his speeches that Cambodia had just risen up from the ashes of war, just got up from Year Zero with empty hands and how come they are billionaires, millionaires but 90% of innocent Cambodian people are so poor and struggling with their livelihood every day?
Smart Khmer girl, President Ms. Rattana Keo,
HUN SEN POWERS DRIVEN FROM FOREIGN DEBT...IF HE OWES ALLOT OBLIGATION UNDER HIS DICTATORSHIP THEN ALL THE CREDITORS WILL SUPPORT HIS POWERS IN CAMBODIA. HUM SACK POWERS IS NOT DRIVEN BY SUPPORT OF FOREIGN NATION THE REASON OF THIS RICHNESS FEELINGS FROM WEALTHY INVESTOR IS JUST A MOMENTUM OF THRUST TO GET THE FEEL OF PROPULSION. (ILLEGAL SMUGGLING RING)=KONG POUS
LIKE KONG PUOS SUPPORTERS WERE RUSSIANS AND ARE THEY RUSSIANS MAFIA?
KONG PUOS SERVE AS A PORT FOR ILLEGAL SMUGGLING OF COCAINE AND ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES.....
INSTEAD OF PARKING IN PORT FOR AUTHORITY TO CHECK SHIPPING JUST DROP A FEW JET BOATS AND THERE YOU GO FULL WIDE .....ILLEGAL SMUGGLING OPERATIONS FROM THE VERY START!
A FISHY ONE! AT KONG PUOS!!!!
UMH DAK OR HUN SEN EITHER WAY JUST MORSE CODE THIS....
(VIETNAMESE LITERATURE)KHMER WORD OX----LEADING FISH RUNNER = PRIME MINISTER
SO HUM SACK IS A LEADING FISH RUNNER....
PRAHA MAE BAIT SAIT
or SLAYING DEMON LEADER
EITHER WAY :)
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