Association of South-east Asian Nations leaders said the dispute
was threatening regional unity and overshadowing the 10-nation group's
strategic message of economic integration, but were unable to wring any
compromises from the feuding neighbours.
The bloc's weakness in
conflict resolution was thrown into stark relief when the leaders'
final statement merely said the dispute "should be amicably resolved in
the spirit of ASEAN solidarity".
It also welcomed an in-principle
agreement to allow Indonesian military observers on the disputed
border and called on Jakarta, the current chair of ASEAN, to continue
its mediation efforts.
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono hosted an unscheduled meeting with the Thai and Cambodian
leaders yesterday but failed to achieve a breakthrough in negotiations.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen admitted after the meeting that the
row was "spoiling" the summit, which was supposed to focus on plans to
create a harmonised economic community by 2015.
"Everyone knows
that the problem of the Thai-Cambodia border has been spoiling the
atmosphere and also creates a challenge for ASEAN," he told reporters.
"I'm not sure whether it can go forward or not, but at least the atmosphere of the meeting is good."
Eighteen
people have been killed and 85,000 temporarily displaced in weeks of
clashes over ownership of a small patch of territory surrounding an
11th-century Khmer temple. The temple itself belongs to Cambodia.
In
a highly critical tone not usually heard at ASEAN meetings, Hun Sen
accused Thailand of invading Cambodia and seeking to prolong the
conflict "in order to violate weaker neighbouring ASEAN members".
Thai
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva responded by saying he was ready for
dialogue and insisting the matter be resolved bilaterally, instead of
under UN auspices as Cambodia wants.
He agreed that the dispute,
which was not on the formal agenda of the summit, threatened to
undermine the credibility of the bloc's rhetoric about regional
integration and playing a greater role in world affairs.
"I
accept that the issue could affect the credibility of ASEAN. We must
therefore make sure that any problem should be solved, locally,
bilaterally and if needed with the facilitation of the region," Abhisit
said.
"Thailand recognises full well that any conflict between ASEAN member states can undermine ASEAN's community-building efforts."
Indonesia
has been trying to find a solution to the conflict on behalf of ASEAN,
but so far it has achieved little except the in-principle agreement to
accept a small team of military observers on the border.
Officials
said the two leaders had only agreed to have their foreign ministers
meet again in Jakarta on Monday to discuss the conflict further.
Putting
a brave face on the episode, ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan
said: "The fact that they are meeting is a good sign."
But other ASEAN leaders were not so sanguine.
Philippine
President Benigno Aquino, told reporters ASEAN unity was at stake and
expressed concern that the conflict could worsen.
"How can we have one ASEAN, one family, if we have two major components who cannot solve their problems?" he asked.
In
addition to strategic integration, other issues on the table at the
summit included food and energy security, territorial disputes in the
South China Sea, the scourge of human trafficking and East Timor's
membership bid.
Burma stole the headlines on Friday when ASEAN
officials announced that the military-led country - which is under
Western sanctions for serial human rights abuses - had asked to chair
the group in 2014.
US-based Human Rights Watch said ASEAN would
become the "laughing stock of intergovernmental forums" if it granted
the request.
The ASEAN chairman's statement at the end of the
meeting said only that the request had been "considered", meaning the
leaders deferred a decision to a later date.
It also emphasised
the "need for a breakthrough" in talks with Beijing about a code of
conduct in the South China Sea, a strategic maritime route where China
and several ASEAN members have competing territorial claims.
News.com.au
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