ASEAN ministers meet on Cambodian elections<\/p>\n
MANILA (AFP): Thai and Indonesian foreign ministers arrived
\nhere Saturday for a meeting with their Philippine counterpart to
\ndiscuss upcoming elections in strife-torn Cambodia with the Thai
\nminister calling for flexibility among rival factions.<\/p>\n
Thai Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan told reporters minutes
\nafter arriving on a commercial flight, that \"the rigidity of all
\nsides is... a problem for reconciliation.\"<\/p>\n
\"All sides will have to be flexible,\" he added before
\nproceeding to a luxury hotel where the meeting will take place.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas, who arrived a little
\nmore than an hour later, would not comment on the meeting except
\nto say, \"let's see how the talks go.\"<\/p>\n
The two ministers, along with Foreign Secretary Domingo
\nSiazon, have been tasked by the Association of Southeast Asian
\nNations (ASEAN) to deal with Cambodian leader Hun Sen.<\/p>\n
The three ministers will be meeting later Saturday and on
\nSunday, the three will hold expanded talks with foreign ministry
\nrepresentatives from the United States, Australia, Japan and a
\nfew other countries belonging to a group called Friends of
\nCambodia.<\/p>\n
Surin warned that \"time is running short for the elections,\"
\nwhich has been set for July 26.<\/p>\n
\"We want the process of electoral mechanisms to be in place so
\nelections will be free and fair,\" Surin said, adding \"otherwise,
\nit won't be the mechanism to resolve the problem.\"<\/p>\n
He also repeated remarks of ousted Cambodian first prime
\nminister Prince Norodom Ranariddh who had said in Bangkok that he
\nwould return to Cambodia for the elections despite threats of
\narrest.<\/p>\n
\"Ranariddh has already said that he has decided to return...
\nand (is) willing to face any obstacle,\" the Thai foreign minister
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Surin said the United Nations had provided a series of
\nguarantees for Ranariddh's safety but added that \"it's up to him\"
\nto return or not.<\/p>\n
Ranariddh earlier said that Thailand fully supported his plan
\nto return home to contest the elections, saying he would go back
\n\"as early as possible\" even if he faces arrest.<\/p>\n
Hun Sen has said the prince must be arrested and tried for a
\nrange of crimes, including illegal arms importation if he
\nreturns.<\/p>\n
The three ministers are expected to discuss the proposed date
\nof the elections, July 26, and the refugee problem created by the
\ncontinued fighting between forces loyal to Hun Sen and Ranariddh,
\nSiazon earlier said.<\/p>\n
They are also expected to talk about a possible cease-fire,
\nthe participation of the exiled Ranariddh in the elections and
\nreports about splits within his royalist FUNCINPEC party.<\/p>\n
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian Affairs Stanley
\nRoth is already in the Philippines to take part in the expanded
\nmeeting with the Friends of Cambodia, the U.S. embassy said.<\/p>\n
Cambodia was originally scheduled to join ASEAN last year,
\nalong with Myanmar and Laos but Ranariddh's violent ousting by
\nHun Sen and the outbreak of fighting, derailed its acceptance
\ninto the group.<\/p>\n
\"It's still our responsibility to try to find a sustained
\nresolution to the conflict,\" Surin said.<\/p>\n
ASEAN's membership included Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the
\nPhilippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam with Laos and
\nMyanmar joining last year.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/asean-ministers-meet-on-cambodian-elections-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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