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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