Cambodia scores win with successful summit

Cambodia scores win with successful summit

Luke Hunt, Agence France-Presse, Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh confounded its critics this week by carrying off the
annual ASEAN summit with aplomb, and won a rare round of applause
from peers and critics alike.

With last month's deadly Bali bomb blasts raising fears of a
terrorist attack during the two-day event, a military dragnet to
protect leaders from 15 countries was unprecedently tight.

Thousands of police shut down a dozen city blocks surrounding
the Intercontinental Hotel, where the 10-member Association of
Southeast Nations (ASEAN) held its summit and ran parallel
meetings with China, India, Japan, South Africa and South Korea.

Officials from all quarters were deeply worried this country's
culture of lawlessness and impunity, coupled with the gathering
of the 15 leaders, could be the perfect opportunity for another
devastating terrorist attack.

But after four days of meetings that ended in a raft of
historic pacts, a dazzling sideshow with compliments from a
revered monarch, and no security breach, Cambodia had written
itself a fresh page in Asia's history books.

"As far as we are concerned, it shows that when Cambodians
decide to do something they can work together at all levels, it
was a tremendous success," Singapore ambassador Verghese Mathews
told AFP on Wednesday.

During the summit that ended on Tuesday, prime ministers and
presidents presented a united front in the international fight on
terrorism and demanded North Korea dismantle its nuclear
capabilities.

New trade accords were also forged that could turn East Asia
into the world's largest free trading market and a surprise pact
-- brokered by Cambodian diplomat Chem Widhya -- was announced on
easing tensions over the hotly contested Spratly Islands.

ASEAN's chief spokesman M.C. Abad best summed-up sentiment
over what has been termed the "Cambodian Agreement" for the
potentially oil rich islands.

"The Cambodia Agreement is a fitting tribute to a country that
has gone a long way in transforming itself from a place which is
almost synonymous with the Killing Fields to a broker of an
instrument of peace in the region," he said.

For Cambodia the ASEAN summit delivered dollars, cache, and
mitigated this country's reputation as a political and economic
backwater still trying to cope with the tragic legacy stemming
from nearly 30 years of war.

No one was more conscious of this than the nation's 80-year-
old King Norodom Sihanouk, who lost 14 children and grandchildren
to the Khmer Rouge during their brutal 1975-79 reign.

As host to a spectacular banquet the monarch sang before
Chinese Prime Minister Zhu Rongji and his counterparts, belted
out a tune on the saxapohone, and danced the presidents of
Indonesia and the Philippines off their feet.

Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri, under the most
pressure out of all the regional leaders following the Oct. 12
blast in Bali that killed more than 190 people, particularly
enjoyed the light relief with the king.

"She was most impressed to the point where Megawati demanded
an encore from the monarch," a palace insider told AFP of their
dance.

Mathews reflected the views of many when summarizing
Cambodia's hosting of the event.

"As far as Cambodians are concerned they all should be very
proud, this is good for Cambodia and good for ASEAN."