Asean entry for P Penh to be stalle

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Subject: Asean entry for P Penh to be stalled 

The Nation July 10th
Asean entry for P Penh to be stalled 



THE Association of Southeast Asian Nations is likely to postpone its 
admission of Cambodia until December in light of the violent coup that 
has raised serious doubts about the country's readiness to become a 
member with Laos and Burma later this month. 

Asean foreign ministers will hold an emergency meeting today in Kuala 
Lumpur to discuss the situation in Cambodia and to decide how the 
grouping will react to the violence which could restructure the 
country's leadership. 

Indonesia and Thailand, two key regional players in the 1991 Paris Peace 
Accords, yesterday sent strong messages indicating that Asean could 
delay Cambodia's membership. 

Philippine President Fidel Ramos yesterday reiterated Asean's call for a 
ceasefire between forces loyal to First Prime Minister Prince Norodom 
Ranariddh and Second Prime Minister Hun Sen. He also called for the 
return of the ''legitimate" coalition government that was installed 
after the UN-sponsored general election in 1993. 

Foreign Minister Prachuab Chaiyasan yesterday suggested that Asean could 
either delay admission for all three countries until December, when the 
grouping holds its summit meeting, or admit only those countries who are 
ready when Asean foreign ministers meet on July 23. A country not 
gaining admission in July would be admitted once its internal problems 
are resolved, he said. 

Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas, whose country co-chaired 
Cambodian peace negotiations that led to the Paris peace settlement, 
said Asean had not ruled out the possibility of postponing Cambodia's 
entry into the seven-member grouping. 

A delay in Cambodia's admission ''is possible, if it is agreed and if it 
becomes a consensus among all Asean members," Alatas said. 

He added that among the aspects to be discussed by Asean foreign 
ministers today was which Cambodian premier Asean would recognise. 

Vietnam's Vice Foreign Minister Vu Khoan, whose country has been a 
long-time ally of Hun Sen, emphasised that the original decision to 
admit Cambodia had been made ''by all Asean countries at the highest 
political level." 

''Now, we are deciding only the timetable," Vu said upon his arrival to 
Kuala Lumpur. 

As of yesterday, Malaysia's acting Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim insisted 
that Asean should go ahead with its decision to admit Cambodia, Laos and 
Burma on July 23. 

Meanwhile, Ranariddh, who left the country ahead of the eruption of 
violence last Saturday, is touring G-7 countries and Russia and urging 
the United Nations Security Council to intervene in the potential 
renewal of civil war in Cambodia. 

The prince has asked that the world recognise that he has been ousted 
from power by Hun Sen. 

Malaysian Foreign Minister Abdullah Badawi said yesterday that Cambodian 
Foreign Minister Ung Huot was expected to arrive in Kuala Lumpur today 
in the hope of conveying to Asean his royalist party's views on the 
takeover. 

In Phnom Penh, Hun Sen told Asean diplomats that he would not negotiate 
with Ranariddh and justified the use of force to topple the Funcinpec 
Party from the coalition government. He insisted that the violent 
takeover was an internal issue and urged Asean to admit Cambodia on July 
23 as scheduled. 

Hun Sen said he regretted the looting on Monday of Asean nationals' 
property after his forces' victory over Ranariddh's troops and said he 
was considering compensation to firms suffering losses during the 
chaotic violence. 

About 50 Cambodians including two top Funcinpec leaders ­ Ho Sok and 
Chau Sambath ­ were reportedly killed and about 200 others injured 
during the heavy armed clashes. Hun Sen has denied that his troops 
assassinated Ho Kok, an Interior Ministry secretary of state, and Chau 
Sambath, an intelligence officer. 

The stream of evacuation flights from Cambodia continued yesterday with 
about 1,000 foreigners, including Malaysian, Singaporean, Filipino and 
Taiwanese, airlifted from Phnom Penh. Members of the Cambodian royal 
family were also flown out of the country. 

The Geneva-based International SOS Assistance, which undertakes medical 
and security evacuations by air, sea and land, airlifted 295 people out 
yesterday. 



"THERE WILL BE NO REAL DEMOCRACY IF WE CAN'T GURANTEE THE RIGHTS OF THE 
MINORITY ETHNIC PEOPLE.  ONLY UNDERSTANDING THEIR SUFFERING AND HELPING 
THEM TO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHTS WILL ASSIST PREVENTING FROM THE 
DISINTEGRATION AND THE SESESSION."  "WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THEIR 
STRENGTH, WE CAN'T TOPPLE THE SLORC AND BURMA WILL NEVER BE IN PEACE."


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