Thai-Cambodia border dispute overshadows Asean meeting
Bilateral issues: Singapore's Foreign Minister George Yeo arrives for bilateral meetings on the sidelines of Asean Summit in Singapore yesterday. Picture: AFP
Monday, July 21, 2008
HIS Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, together with foreign ministers of Asean last evening attended an informal working dinner hosted by Geroge Yeo, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Singapore and Chairman of the 41st Asean Standing committee.
Ministers discussed outstanding regional and international matters, including the relief and rehabilitation efforts in Myanmar.
Meanwhile, Thailand and Cambodia were yesterday urged to exercise restraint over a tense border dispute which overshadowed the start of annual talks among Southeast Asian foreign ministers.
High on the official agenda is a new charter which would create an EU-style economic block committed to democracy and human rights by 2015, and efforts to get aid to some two million survivors of Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar.
But even before the ministers gathered at a restaurant, the atmosphere had been soured by an armed standoff between Thai and Cambodian troops over territory surrounding an ancient temple.
"Any tension, any misunderstanding between and among member states is always an issue of concern for Asean," the bloc's secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan said, adding the issue would likely be raised at the dinner. He said the ministers were keen to see the matter resolved "as soon as possible."
A spokesman for the Asean meeting said ministers would likely seek a briefing from their Thai and Cambodian counterparts on the situation.
"We encourage both sides to exercise restraint and also to resolve the issue peacefully," Andrew Tan told a press briefing. Defence officials from both countries plan to meet on the border today to try to defuse the crisis.
But Thai government representatives here said they could not discuss whether the countries' ministers would hold bilateral talks in Singapore.
The issue of renegade member Myanmar is also high on the agenda, after the ruling junta earned widespread contempt by refusing to allow a foreign-led relief effort when a May cyclone left 138,000 dead or missing.
Asean officials have recommended the foreign ministers release a statement demanding Myanmar release all political prisoners, a move that would signal a shift from from the bloc's stance of "positive engagement" with the junta.
But a senior official said the junta was urging ministers to drop all political issues from a joint communique and focus solely on providing more aid for cyclone victims. AFP
Ministers discussed outstanding regional and international matters, including the relief and rehabilitation efforts in Myanmar.
Meanwhile, Thailand and Cambodia were yesterday urged to exercise restraint over a tense border dispute which overshadowed the start of annual talks among Southeast Asian foreign ministers.
High on the official agenda is a new charter which would create an EU-style economic block committed to democracy and human rights by 2015, and efforts to get aid to some two million survivors of Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar.
But even before the ministers gathered at a restaurant, the atmosphere had been soured by an armed standoff between Thai and Cambodian troops over territory surrounding an ancient temple.
"Any tension, any misunderstanding between and among member states is always an issue of concern for Asean," the bloc's secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan said, adding the issue would likely be raised at the dinner. He said the ministers were keen to see the matter resolved "as soon as possible."
A spokesman for the Asean meeting said ministers would likely seek a briefing from their Thai and Cambodian counterparts on the situation.
"We encourage both sides to exercise restraint and also to resolve the issue peacefully," Andrew Tan told a press briefing. Defence officials from both countries plan to meet on the border today to try to defuse the crisis.
But Thai government representatives here said they could not discuss whether the countries' ministers would hold bilateral talks in Singapore.
The issue of renegade member Myanmar is also high on the agenda, after the ruling junta earned widespread contempt by refusing to allow a foreign-led relief effort when a May cyclone left 138,000 dead or missing.
Asean officials have recommended the foreign ministers release a statement demanding Myanmar release all political prisoners, a move that would signal a shift from from the bloc's stance of "positive engagement" with the junta.
But a senior official said the junta was urging ministers to drop all political issues from a joint communique and focus solely on providing more aid for cyclone victims. AFP
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