The border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia is still far from over, with the United Nations Security Council throwing the dispute to a regional forum of Asean foreign ministers next week in Jakarta, and a fresh clash on the ground yesterday near Preah Vihear.
The border skirmish erupted just hours after the Security Council called for a permanent ceasefire between the two conflicting parties.
The Security Council, as requested by Cambodia, had convened a meeting on the border conflict on Monday in New York to seek solutions to end the conflict.
UNSC president Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti in her press statement after the meeting said: "The members of the Security Council called on the two sides to display maximum restraint and avoid any action that might aggravate the situation.
"The members of the Security Council further urged the parties to establish a permanent ceasefire, and to implement it fully and to resolve the situation peacefully and through effective dialogue."
Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya and his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong were in the meeting together with Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, who is the current chairman of Asean.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva interpreted the outcome of the Security Council meeting in favour of Thailand. "As the international community thinks the problem should be resolved through negotiation, Cambodia has no reason to refuse, [and] it should return to the talks."
Foreign ministers of the two countries would use the Asean forum on February 22 to discuss the issue again, he said.
Speaking from Phnom Penh, Cambodian Foreign Ministry spokesman Koy Kuong said his country also wanted to resolve the border conflict peacefully through negotiation. "But we need a third party in the negotiation," he said in a phone interview.
Bilateral negotiations as called for by Thailand did not work, he said. "How long have we stuck with the bilateral mechanism of the JBC [Joint Boundary Committee]? We have gone nowhere for nearly two years."
The boundary of the areas adjacent to Preah Vihear Temple had not been demarcated, he said. The JBC could not move its survey and demarcation task forward since its last meeting in Phnom Penh in April 2009, because of the delaying process of the Thai Parliament.
Kasit proposed a meeting of the JBC on February 27. "If Cambodia does not accept bilateral talks, it will violate the UNSC decision," he said.
While remaining silent on Kasit's call for a JBC meeting, Hor Namhong will attend the Asean meeting next week, spokesman Koy Kuong said, but declined to say what the country expected from it.
There will be three possible scenarios in the Jakarta meeting, according to former Thai ambassador to the UN Don Pramudwinai. Scenario 1: The two countries could talk on the conflict with some Asean elements present at the meeting. Scenario 2: The chairman of Asean would help facilitate the talk. Scenario 3: A low possibility, but Asean may activate its high council to settle the conflict, he said.
"As long as Asean is involved, we cannot say the conflict will go on a bilateral track," Don told The Nation. "The question is how much Asean will be involved." Cambodia wanted heavily involvement of a third party while Thailand wanted less, he said.
The UNSC welcomed Asean's effort to use the regional mechanism to end conflict between the two members. "The Security Council expressed support for Asean's active efforts in this matter and encouraged the parties to continue to cooperate with the organisation in this regard," Viotti said in the statement.
The role of Indonesia in the meeting remains unclear. The Asean Charter's Articles 22-25 suggest that members who are parties to a dispute may agree to resort to good offices, conciliation or mediation to resolve the dispute. Parties may request the chairman or secretary-general to provide good offices, conciliation or mediation.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2011/02/16/national/Asean-to-hear-border-row-on-Tuesday-30148811.html
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