Cambodia hails ASEAN initiative
Cambodia hails ASEAN initiative
By Santi WE Soekanto
PETALING JAYA, Malaysia (JP): An ASEAN ministerial mission led
by Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas will go to
Phnom Penh to engage in "silent diplomacy" after receiving
confirmation yesterday that they would be welcomed by Cambodian
Second Prime Minister Hun Sen.
Alatas said after the closing of the ASEAN Post-Ministerial
Conference (PMC) here yesterday that the grouping had received a
written confirmation welcoming ASEAN's role in the crisis.
"It's possible," Alatas said when asked whether he and two
other foreign ministers, who make up the ASEAN mission, might
leave for Phnom Penh this week.
Alatas, who returned to Jakarta yesterday afternoon shortly
after the close of the two-day PMC, pointed out that he would
first report to President Soeharto and consult his colleagues on
how and when to go about the mission.
The other two foreign ministers making up the team are the
Philippines' Domingo L. Siazon and Thailand's Prachuab
Chaiyasarn.
Alatas maintained that the mission would not offer "specific
prescriptions on how to resolve the crisis" to Hun Sen.
"We are going to talk in general terms, we're going to listen,
to exchange views with Second Prime Minister Hun Sen about the
possible elements for a possible solution.
"We have suggestions (about how to restore political
stability) but at this stage we cannot reveal what they are," he
said when pressed for details.
"If we did that, it would be counterproductive, and if all
parties knew what we were going to say, they could say 'no' even
before we come," he said adding that "we must have quiet, silent
diplomacy until we reach a certain stage".
Similarly Siazon said: "We'd like to be assured that stability
(in Cambodia) will exist sufficiently well enough in the long run
for them to be able to fulfill their commitments (to the Paris
Peace Accords)."
Sources revealed that the written confirmation was received
here early yesterday morning and addressed to the three foreign
ministers. It was signed by Cambodian Foreign Minister Ung Huot.
"I have the pleasure to reconfirm to your excellencies that
Cambodia welcomes ASEAN's role in helping to restore political
stability in the country.
"Therefore I would like to invite your excellencies ... to
come to Cambodia at a date convenient to your excellencies, if
possible this week," read a copy of the signed letter.
The fragile peace and coalition in Cambodia ruptured earlier
this month after Hun Sen took over political power from First
Prime Minister Prince Norodom Ranariddh.
Initial efforts by ASEAN to offer their good offices were
rebuffed by Hun Sen. The uncertainty in Cambodia prompted ASEAN
to delay its membership which was originally slated for last
week.
ASEAN currently groups Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Alatas yesterday would not say whether the ASEAN mission would
also meet again with Prince Ranariddh or his father Cambodian
King Norodom Sihanouk.
"We are going to first visit Hun Sen ... after that we can
look whether to visit (Ranariddh or Sihanouk)," he said.
Alatas lauded the latest development saying "at least now all
the parties concerned are willing to accept ASEAN's role" in
restoring stability.
He underlined that the mission's main aim was to exchange
views so that "an agreement can be reached, one that is enduring
enough until the time comes for the general election" next May.
Alatas said no deadline had been set for the Cambodian
mission.
Cambodia's Ung Huot last week held direct consultations with
the ASEAN ministers who were here to attend the annual
ministerial meeting.
Despite reports that Ung Huot had been expelled from
Ranariddh's royalist FUNCINPEC party, Alatas said the grouping
still recognized him as foreign minister.
"We'll see. He is so far still the foreign minister, and we
are dealing with him as such. We'll see how far our position
needs to be adjusted if there are changes."
Ung Huot had earlier been tipped to replace Ranariddh as co-
premier.