ASEAN urged to be cautious on Cambodian membership

JAKARTA (JP): A senior United States official has urged ASEAN to exercise caution and give the matter "serious thought" before admitting Cambodia into the group.

"As you bring a country like Cambodia that is experiencing a convulsion of violence and repression into your house, it reflects on ASEAN's image, it reflects on the face that ASEAN presents to the world," said Sandra Kristoff, senior director for Asian affairs at the U.S. National Security Council in Washington.

Answering questions at a Worldnet dialog beamed yesterday to panelists in Jakarta, Bangkok, Manila and Kuala Lumpur, Kristoff said Cambodia's immediate admission also "effects ASEAN's ability to instigate or push or convince Phnom Penh to make needed changes.

"So I think the administration would urge caution and serious thought before Cambodia is admitted the ASEAN forum," she said while adding that the decision was ASEAN's and "we certainly will respect whatever decision you make".

Cambodia was set to join the now nine-member association last month but the its admission was delayed when Second Prime Minister Hun Sen ousted First Prime Minister Prince Norodom Ranariddh in a coup, plunging the country into civil war.

There have been mixed signals of when Cambodia may be admitted.

Some say it could be accepted during ASEAN's informal summit in December, while others say the association will wait until Phnom Penh holds elections in May.

Kristoff mentioned several tenets which could be used as milestones of political progress in Cambodia.

These include the restoration of peace, the disarming of the military, the cessation of violence, the free return of members from ousted Prince Norodom Ranariddh's party who have fled the country and the start of a process for transparent and open elections next year.

Kristoff said preparations for the elections had to start months ahead and could not be done overnight.

She said the presence of international monitors would help.

Many have expressed fear Hun Sen will use the planned elections as a tool for legitimizing his ousting of Ranariddh.

Indonesia's foreign minister, Ali Alatas, reiterated yesterday that ASEAN's efforts to help resolve the crisis in Cambodia was not aimed at interfering in Phnom Penh's domestic affairs.

"We have never made substantive judgments... ASEAN has never made an issue or blamed or said who's right or who's wrong," he said. (prb/mds)