Border row flares at summit

Thailand and Cambodia's border conflict heated up the Asean summit yesterday as Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen raised the issue in the meeting and accused Thailand of military aggression and territorial invasion.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva used the same session to respond and clarify his government's stance. He appealed for Phnom Penh to participate in a bilateral meeting to settle the conflict.

However, both Hun Sen and Abhisit expressed a willingness to attend a tripartite meeting with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to discuss the matter.

Hun Sen kicked things off at the Jakarta summit by reading a six-page statement in the plenary session to express his feelings on the conflict with Thailand.

The border conflict between the two members has been an issue for Asean since a major military clash near Preah Vihear Temple in February. The United Nations Security Council urged Asean to help implement a permanent ceasefire at the border area.

Indonesia, the current chair of Asean, planned to dispatch observers to assess and monitor the situation but the plan to do this has not been implemented yet as Thailand has set a condition to first get Cambodian troops to withdraw from the area around the historic temple.

Hun Sen, in his prepared statement, said: "This condition is irrational and unacceptable. In fact, it is Thailand that must withdraw troops from the vicinity of the areas, according to the judgement of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague dated 15 June, 1962."

He noted that the border war may not only affect regional peace and security but may also "create serious challenges for Asean in our pursuit towards the Asean Community in 2015."

"Asean's prestige and credibility will be at high risk if efforts to establish a permanent ceasefire do not materialise as planned."

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Hun Sen said he appreciated the role of Indonesia as the chair of the group in trying to facilitate a peaceful solution. But he noted: "We would like to have more and a quicker role by Asean, as Indonesia has been very active already and would like to speed up but we cannot achieve [this] as one party does not want it."

Prime Minister Abhisit responded with an eight-point clarification in the session, saying Thailand had no aggressive policy to invade Cam-bodian territory. It was Cambodia that ignited the military conflict to internationalise the issue, to pave the way for going back to the World Court to get an interpretation of the 1962 judgement, he told Asean leaders.

"In complying with the ICJ's ruling, Thailand withdrew troops and personnel from the Preah Vihear Temple area long ago and has lived peacefully with Cambodia for a long time," spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn quoted Abhisit saying in the Asean session. Thailand was among countries that provided assistance to build up the Cambodian state since the beginning, the PM said. Abhisit called on the Cambodian leader to exercise all bilateral mechanisms to try to resolve the problem.

Thai officials made attempts to set up a bilateral meeting between Abhisit and Hun Sen on the sidelines of the two-day Asean summit, which is due to end today. But so far, Hun Sen has said he has no plan to meet Abhisit.

Indonesia, as the Asean chair, floated an idea to have a tripartite meeting with the two conflicting members.

Hun Sen said he would respond to any initiative positively.

Abhisit said he was ready for talks with Hun Sen, either on a bilateral or trilateral basis. "Thailand is always willing to resolve this problem peacefully, but we need to make sure that no side wants to internationalise this and blow this out of proportion.

"Clearly, our doors are open as far as bilateral negotiations are concerned and Indonesia is being very helpful as facilitator. If Cambodia is willing to come to the table, there is no problem," Abhisit told reporters.

Most leaders said in the meeting they wanted to see the two members settle the problem within the Asean family, Panitan said, saying Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono wanted the issue to be solved in the spirit of Asean.

Albert del Rosario, the Philippine Foreign Secretary, told reporters that "everyone wants to be helpful but everyone hopes that this thing can be resolved peacefully in the spirit of Asean."

The Nation