ASEAN calls for cease-fire
ASEAN calls for cease-fire
BANGKOK (Reuter): ASEAN called yesterday for an immediate
cease-fire in Cambodia, telling ousted Prime Minister Prince
Norodom Ranariddh it was the first priority in finding a solution
to the conflict.
But Ranariddh said he would not call a unilateral cease-fire
and that he and arch rival Second Prime Minister Hun Sen should
meet first.
Thai Foreign Minister Prachuab Chaiyasarn told Ranariddh in a
meeting in Bangkok that the prince's forces, wedged into a pocket
in Cambodia's northwest, and the rival army of strongman Hun Sen,
should announce an immediate cease-fire.
"I informed Prince Ranariddh of the position of ASEAN, that
ASEAN is continuing its efforts to mediate in the Cambodian
conflict," Prachuab said after about two hours of talks with
Ranariddh.
"I told him that there are three stages of the plan for the
peace process in Cambodia, and the first ... is to see the
immediate cease-fire, otherwise the second and third stages can
never move," Prachuab said.
ASEAN groups the Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar,
the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Last month, it
postponed Cambodia's entry until the conflict was resolved.
Royalist soldiers loyal to Ranariddh have been fighting Hun
Sen's forces since the latter staged a takeover in the capital in
Phnom Penh on July 5 and July 6.
Witnesses said the situation in O'Smach, a border town that
has been the main stronghold of Ranariddh's FUNCINPEC forces, was
quiet yesterday despite vows from Hun Sen that he would launch a
final assault the same day.
Ranariddh said he supported ASEAN's efforts to broker a dialog
between the two premiers overseen by King Norodom Sihanouk, but
ruled out any unilateral cease-fire before a dialogue with Hun
Sen.
"As far as the cease-fire is concerned, I have to say it
cannot be any unilateral cease-fire, therefore to have a cease-
fire as soon as possible we have to talk to each other ... in the
earliest manner," he said after the meeting.
Ranariddh also denied Khmer Rouge radio reports yesterday that
its forces had formed a military alliance with the royalist
forces in fighting against Hun Sen.
"There is no alliance, either political nor military, with the
Khmer Rouge ... since I always stay in my residence in Bangkok,
so how could I sign any alliance, either political or military,
with the Khmer Rouge?" Ranariddh asked.
Thailand's Prachuab, assigned to talk with Ranariddh on behalf
of ASEAN, said the second stage for a solution would be to
establish a mechanism to establish free and fair elections and
finally to push for general elections, as promised, next year.