By Nuntida Puangthong
The Nation
Bali
Cambodia said yesterday it would not withdraw its troops from a demilitarised zone at the Preah Vihear temple, established by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), before the arrival of an Asean observer team.
Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong earlier wrote to Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, who chairs Asean, asking that Jakarta dispatch its observers to the border area as soon as possible.
“For Cambodia, Indonesian observers must arrive to examine the area first, before we withdraw,” he said in Phnom Penh.
However, Asean will not rush the issue, but will give Thailand and Cambodia time to study the ICJ’s order on the Preah Vihear dispute before pushing its plan to dispatch the observer team to the demilitarized zone, secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan said yesterday.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Natalegawa sought meetings with representatives of Thailand and Cambodia attending an Asean meeting in Bali this week for consultations on whether Asean needed to adjust its observers plan, he said.
“Now we are waiting for both countries’ opinions and reactions; whether and how they will comply with the court’s order,” Surin said.
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