Friday, April 06, 2012

Summit a Success, But South China Sea Issue Remains: Analysts

China claims the highlighted portion of the South China Sea. Many other governments also claim all or part of the South China Sea. (Photo: Courtesy of University of Southern California)

Thursday, 05 April 2012
Reporters, VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh, Washington
“If there’s no China influence, Asean countries could reach a compromise on [the code of conduct] more easily.”
Analysts say Cambodia handled its first Asean summit for the year with success, but it will face leadership challenges over the South China Sea, as Asean countries and China continue talks.

Officials from Vietnam and the Philippines, both Asean countries, raised the issue at meetings ahead of the final summit earlier this week, with Asean leaders ultimately deciding they would draft a so-called code of conduct, or set of rules, for the sea.

Ou Virak, head of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, told VOA Khmer Thursday that even the code of conduct is complicated because of differing relationships between Southeast Asian countries and China.


“If there’s no China influence, Asean countries could reach a compromise on [the code of conduct] more easily,” he said.

Prime Minister Hun Sen told reporters after the last day of the summit that the 10 Asean countries—Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam—had “reached common points regarding the issue,” but he said Asean countries would need to start working with China.

Albert del Rosario, foreign secretary for the Philippines, said a code of conduct should be fully agreed on “before China is invited” for talks.

Indonesia’s foreign minister, Marty Natalegawa, said China seems ready to engage in a dialogue over the code of conduct. “But I think the usual practice is to have an Asean position” first, he said.

A code of conduct would help China and Asean claimants to the sea reduce tensions, but Chheang Vannarith, executive director of the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace, said Asean members should avoid internal divisions over the issue.

“Suppose countries that have a row in the South China Sea push [China] harder, then they can cause pressure on the relationships of others that are not involved in the South China Sea,” he said. “They should see what is a proper, acceptable pace for all.”

Ou Virak said smaller claimant countries will want a unified Asean to discuss the issue, rather than having each individual country in bilateral discussions with a powerful China.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

How about Vietnam raises the issue of Koh Trol?

Karma will get to this monster Vietnam with "high rate of interest".

Before complaining about the islands in the South China Sea, Vietnam should give Koh Trol, Koh Krachalk Sess, and Kampuchea Krom back to Cambodia first. By doing so would confirm that Vietnam is a justice lover. But nobody is going to believe this evil nation Vietnam would do. Vietnam is simply a hypocrite.

Anonymous said...

នៅប្រទេសដែលប្រកាន់ជុំហ៊រឬលិទ្ធិប្រជាធិបតេយ្យនោះគេមិនប្រកាន់ទេចំពោះអ្នកដែលធ្វើការរិះគន់,បព្ចេញ​ទស្សនៈ​ ឬអោយ​អនុសាសន៍​ដើម្បី​ស្ថាបនា​សង្គមរបស់គេទេ​។លោក​នាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី ហ៊ុន សែន មិនគួរ​បញ្ចេញ​ប្រតិកម្ម​ជា​បន្តបន្ទាប់នៅពេលដែលមានពិធីសម្ពោធអ្វីៗម្តង។ សូមអានឃ្លាខាងក្រោមដូចតទៅ៖ ៉លោក ហ៊ុន សែន បាន​បញ្ចេញ​ប្រតិកម្ម​ដូច្នេះ៖ «ព្រោះ​វា​ទាក់ទង​នឹង​ជនជាតិ​កម្ពុជា ខ្ញុំ​មិន​នឹក​ស្មាន​ថា មាន​ជនជាតិ​កម្ពុជា ល្ងង់​ដល់​ថ្នាក់​ហ្នឹង! ដែល​ធ្វើ​ឲ្យ​ថោក​តំលៃ​ដល់​ជន​ជាតិ​ដទៃ​ទៀត ប៉ុន្តែ​សូម​អ្នក​ដទៃ​កុំ​ចាត់​ទុក​ថា អំពើ​ល្ងង់​ខ្លៅ​នេះ​មាន​មនុស្ស​ទាំង​អស់​បែប​លោក សម រង្ស៊ី ឬ​តំណាងរាស្ត្រ​របស់​លោក សម រង្ស៊ី ឲ្យ​សោះ! យើង​ជា​ប្រទេស​ដែល​មាន​កិត្តិយស និង​សេចក្ដី​ថ្លៃថ្នូរ ហើយ​ក៏​មិន​មែន​ជា​អ្នក​អនុវត្ត​នយោបាយ​ឱកាស​និយម​តាម​បែប​បក្ស​ប្រឆាំង ឬ​ក៏​អ្នក​វិភាគ​តាម​បែប... បើ​ខ្ញុំ​ចង់​និយាយ អ្នក​វិភាគ​សេដ្ឋកិច្ច ពួក​សេដ្ឋវិទូ ខ្ញុំ​ហៅ​អា​ល្ងង់​ទូ។ បើ​សិន​ជា​ទស្សនវិទូ ខ្ញុំ​ក៏​ហៅ​អា​ល្ងង់​ទូ​ដូច​គ្នា​ដែរ ព្រោះ​ការ​វិភាគ​បែប​នេះ​វា​មិន​ស្រប​ហៅ​ថា បណ្ឌិត​នោះ​ទេ ព្រោះ​បណ្ឌិត​នោះ​ក្បាល​ទំពែក​ទៅ​ទៀត»។ ក្នុងនាមជាអ្នកដឹកនាំគេម្នាក់មិនគួរលោក​នាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី ហ៊ុន សែន និយាយពាក្យបាតផ្សារឬពាក្យព្រៃសោះ ឬនេះវាជាទំនៀមទម្លាប់ឬវប្បធម៌របស់លោកទៅហើយ បើមិនបានជេរគេ គាត់សំរាន្តមិនលក់ឬ? សូមលោកនាយកមេត្តាចោលប្រពៃណីនេះទៅ ព្រោះនាំអោយប្រទេសថៃដែលជាប្រទេសក្មេងជាងយើងគេសើចពេបជ្រាយទេ! កាលខ្ញុំនៅរៀនវិញនៅពេលដែលជិងចប់ គេតម្រូវអោយយើងរៀងក្បួនឬវិន័យសីលធម៌(Ethic, Management Class)និងរបៀបវារៈអំពីការត្រួតត្រាអ្នកក្រោមខ្លួនហើយនិងរៀនធ្វើជាចៅហ្វាយគេនៅពេលដែលចាំបាច់។ សូមអរគុណ!!

Anonymous said...

The issues of the South China Seas should be solved bilaterally by China with countries concerned in order to avoid this South China seas issue turns into a major conflicts involving the US and China etc...

Anonymous said...

1:32AM, I agree with you 100%. Why the evil Vietnam feel pain now when Some one claim on what you claim? How do we feel when you evil Vietnam took our islands and sea from us, Cambodia?

I stand ready to join China to destroy evil Vietnam and wipe it out from the world map. Evil Vietname is my enermy# 1.

Anonymous said...

“If there’s no China influence, Asean countries could reach a compromise on [the code of conduct] more easily,” he said (Ou Virak).

=Oh come on! Why the “code of conduct” only apply to China? I believe the “code of conduct” should apply equally to the whole ASEAN too! I am amazed that after Cambodia got invaded by Thailand and as for Vietnam had annexed Cambodian Koh Tral and maritime boundary and the ASEAN fail to come up with its own “code of conduct”? Maybe Ou Virak can help explain why the ASEAN doesn't have its own "code of conduct"? Does this mean that China somehow has influence over ASEAN too?

Don't blame everything on China!

Anonymous said...

អាល្ងង់ទូ សម រង្ស៊ី,បុគ្គលចាំតែបោះឆ្នោតបង្រ្គប់កិច្ច
អោយគណបក្សប្រជាជនក៏​ ក្តពាក់បំពុងពើ​យ ដូច​គ្នា​និងអាបណ្ឌិតស្វា អា​ល្ងង់​ទូ​ ហ៊ុន សែនដែរ !!!!!!!!!!