ASEAN urged to be cautious on Cambodian membership

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)