Divided ASEAN foreign ministers cut short retreat as war looms
Divided ASEAN foreign ministers cut short retreat as war looms
Eileen Ng, Agence France-Presse, Karambunai, Malaysia
Southeast Asian foreign ministers, divided over a looming U.S.- led attack on Iraq, cut short informal talks here Wednesday to fly home before war breaks.
Setting aside their differences, ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) tasked their economic ministers to study the financial fallout of war and discussed plans to beef up security cooperation to counter an expected increase in terrorist activities.
Talks which were scheduled to run through Thursday ended just after lunch Wednesday on the eve of a U.S. deadline for Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to go into exile or face war.
"Due to the circumstances of the war... we have cut short the meeting for one day," Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong, who chaired the meeting at a secluded resort here, told a news conference.
"We recognized this war will have very negative consequences and we are very concerned. Terrorist activities will be increased."
The ministers agreed to be involved in humanitarian assistance to Iraq, he said.
Hor said ASEAN ministers also expressed concern over the tension in the Korean peninsula and urged Asia's top security group, the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), to play a role as mediator.
Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said the imminent war in Iraq had "divided the world in a way that is quite scary" and ASEAN must now be more vigilant against the terrorist threat.
He warned the war could spark a "catastrophe" and urged the international community to stand up against this "unlawful act."
"This will be a very sad day and it will be a big mistake that has serious repercussions the world over," he said.
"We reiterate our belief in the multilateralism process... that all international conflicts must be resolved through the UN."
The 10-member ASEAN is split over the U.S.-led war on Iraq, with traditional U.S. allies Singapore, the Philippines and Thailand pitted against Muslim nations Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.
Singapore and the Philippines have urged the grouping to focus instead on ways to cope with the aftermath of war, such as ensuring adequate oil supplies and enhancing anti-terrorism cooperation.
Philippines foreign affairs undersecretary Lauro Baja said Manila was among the 30 countries that have openly backed Washington, while Singapore and Thailand were on the list of 15 nations that lent support but wished to remain anonymous.
Baja, who is representing Philippines Foreign Minister Blas Ople, said Manila "perceives there is a failure of the UN to act."
"Our national interest also dictates that we support a method which will really disarm Iraq and perhaps promote a safer and more stable Middle East region where we have 1.5 million workers," he said.
Baja urged ASEAN to discuss ways for oil-producing nations like Indonesia and Malaysia to be on stand-by to help neighbors in need, and to intensify cooperation to counter an expected increase in terrorist attacks.
Singapore Foreign Minister S. Jayakumar said action against Iraq would benefit world peace and stability.
Syed Hamid said a two-day ARF officials meeting starting Friday, co-chaired by the United States and Malaysia to discuss border and document security, would proceed as planned.
A Malaysian statement said a total of 105 delegates, including defense and police officials, from 18 countries would be involved in talks aimed at forging closer cooperation to combat terror in light of the looming war.
The United States has downgraded its presence, with the head of the counter-terrorism office in the U.S. State Department, Cofer Black, canceling his trip.
ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
ARF consists of the 10 ASEAN states along with Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, Mongolia, New Zealand, South Korea, North Korea, Papua New Guinea, Russia and the United States.