Asean entry for P Penh to be stalle (r)

[bcn@xxxxxxxxx]

At 08:49 10-07-97, nyeinchan@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
>From: "Nyein Chan" <nyeinchan@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>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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