ASEAN ministers may go to Phnom Penh

By Santi WE Soekanto

PETALING JAYA, Malaysia (JP): Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas confirmed the possibility for ASEAN to now extend help to resolve the political crisis in Cambodia now that Phnom Penh has accepted its mediation role.

Alatas told a press briefing at the end of the first day of the two-day ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference, that he had spoken to Cambodia's Foreign Minister Ung Huot over the telephone who conveyed yesterday afternoon a message that Second Prime Minister Hun Sen was welcoming ASEAN's role in the crisis.

"I am still waiting for a written confirmation, but that means that the three foreign ministers will decide whether and how we will proceed," he said.

"There is a possibility, but we don't know yet," he added when asked if the ministers would soon depart for Phnom Penh.

Hun Sen ousted First Prime Minister Norodom Ranariddh earlier this month. The political takeover ended a delicate coalition balance and months of bickering between the two premiers.

The turmoil prompted the delay of Cambodia's membership into ASEAN. The grouping then sent a three-minister team headed by Alatas to speak to the embattled premiers.

Hun Sen had previously rejected ASEAN's offer but reversed his stance last Tuesday and said he welcome the association's role in the crisis. A few days later, however, he again ruled out the mediation offer.

The confusion that followed was the factor why ASEAN ministers then decided to wait until Hun Sen issues a clear confirmation on his stance before proceeding. Ung Huot, who represented Cambodia as an observer in the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and the ASEAN Regional Forum meetings, returned on Sunday to convey the association's message to Hun Sen amidst reports that Ranariddh expelled him from his royalist party FUNCINPEC.

Ung Huot had been tipped to replace Ranariddh as co-premier.

In yesterday's conferences, during which ASEAN and its dialog partners spoke of various international issues, discussion on Cambodia resurfaced.

Among the countries that expressed their stance on the political turmoil in Cambodia were Japan, Australia and Canada.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yukihiko Ikeda stated his country's support for ASEAN's effort in the issue.

"... Japan would like to continue to work with Cambodian leaders for ameliorating the situation and Japan is prepared to cooperate with the ASEAN member countries toward that end," Ikeda said.

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said ASEAN can play a particular role in encouraging not only the return to stability in Cambodia, but also the fulfillment of the commitments of Phnom Penh that the coalition government remains.