ASEAN waits for Hun Sen view on role in crisis

ASEAN waits for Hun Sen view on role in crisis

By Santi WE Soekanto

PETALING JAYA, Malaysia (JP): After days of consultation with
Cambodia's Foreign Minister Ung Huot, the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is now waiting for Phnom Penh's
confirmation on its role to help solve the Cambodian crisis.

ASEAN foreign ministers decided to wait before commencing with
their offer to help restore political stability in Cambodia
following confusion about Second Prime Minister Hun Sen's stance.

"The ball is now in their court," said Indonesia's Minister
of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas.

In a joint communique issued at the end of the 30th ASEAN
Ministerial Meeting here yesterday, the ministers said they have
taken note of the new position of Second Prime Minister Hun Sen
who welcomed ASEAN's role in helping restore political stability
in his country.

The note was conveyed to them by Ung Huot.

"The foreign ministers agreed that, upon reconfirmation of the
(Phnom Penh's) position, the ASEAN Ministerial delegation...
would continue with its effort to assist Cambodia to find a
peaceful resolution to the situation in that country," the
document said.

ASEAN had earlier sent a delegation comprising Alatas, the
Philippines' Domingo L. Siazon Jr, and Thai's Prachuab Chaiyasan,
to Beijing, Bangkok and Phnom Penh to meet with the disputing
parties: Hun Sen and First Prime Minister Prince Norodom
Ranariddh, as well as King Norodom Sihanouk.

Hun Sen first rebuffed the ASEAN offer, but later took an
about turn and said he welcomed ASEAN's role in restoring
stability in his country. But yesterday there were reports that
Hun Sen had again ruled out the role of ASEAN in resolving the
crisis.

"The message that Ung Huot conveyed (from Hun Sen) was very
clear, but we need to reconfirm again because, in the press,
there had been some misunderstanding, (followed) by correction,
and (again) reconfirmation," Alatas said in a press briefing
after the closing ceremony.

"On our own side, there's no misunderstanding. The message was
clear, but we want to (clarify) it further," he said. "With
Minister Ung Huot, we have discussed aspects, possibilities to be
considered in order to seek resolutions.

"We have conveyed several ideas to be delivered to Phnom Penh.
We have decided to wait for the response from Prime Minister Hun
Sen and for the reconfirmation," Alatas said.

"After that, we will decide on whether to move as the team of
(three ministers) to travel or gather (the disputing parties) in
one place," he said.

Separately, Malaysia's Foreign Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
rejected the suggestion that the ASEAN ministers' consultation
over the past few days with Ung Huot had bore no fruits.

"I don't believe there's no progress. If there had been some
confusion (about Hun Sen's stance) I don't think that can be
interpreted as no progress," he said. "Most importantly there's
been contact... we have had discussions with Ung Huot."

Ung Huot was called in for a last meeting with ASEAN foreign
ministers yesterday evening to clarify Phnom Penh's stance. But
Badawi refused to explain the details of the discussions.

"We hope that when he returns (to Phnom Penh) he will be able
to report the outcome of the discussions that the foreign
ministers have had," Badawi said.

The ministers again expressed confidence that Cambodia would
soon join its fold. ASEAN admitted on Wednesday Laos and Myanmar
as its full members, bringing its numbers to nine, but decided to
defer Cambodia's entry due to its political crisis.

"The foreign ministers expressed regret that Cambodia could
not be admitted into ASEAN at this stage due to the present
circumstances in the country, while reaffirming that Cambodia's
observer status at the AMM remains unchanged," said the joint
communique.

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