By Suthichai Yoon
The Nation
Jakarta
Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa was asked last week whether he would try to arrange for the Thai and Cambodian premiers to meet at the Asean Summit to be held here later this week. His prompt response was: “No, I don’t want to wait that long. The sooner the better.”
The bilateral, top-level meeting between Abhisit Vejjajiva and Hun Sen has yet to materialise after a series of military skirmishes. Whether they will sit down and hold serious talks here later this week remains to be seen.
On the eve of the Asean Summit, the Thai-Cambodian armed conflict threatens to seriously undermine the regional grouping’s credibility. The “Asean Option” to resolve conflicts between member countries may prove to be ineffective. The lack of an effective dispute settlement mechanism, despite the existence of the much-heralded Asean Charter, will continue to weaken the regional grouping.
Foreign Minister Natalegawa told a group of Asian editors from the Asia News Network (ANN) here last week: “As the host, we don’t want the summit to be a single-issue gathering about the Thai-Cambodian confrontation. That’s why I am pursuing peace aggressively for both countries. We have several other issues to consider at the summit, including those of Burma and the South China Sea.”
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