The 2nd ASEAN Reader

22. The ASEAN Troika on Cambodia

114 Juanito P. Jarasa By: ROS Size: 7.5" x 10.25" J/No: 03-14474 Fonts: New Baskerville 22. THE ASEAN TROIKA ON CAMBODIA JUANITO P. JARASA Reprinted in abridged form from Juanito P. Jarasa, “The ASEAN Troika on Cambodia: A Philippine Perspective”, in The Next Stage: Preventive Diplomacy and Security Co-operation in the Asia-Pacific Region, edited by Desmond Ball and Amitav Acharya (Canberra: Strategic Defence and Studies Centre, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University, 1999), pp. 209–14, by permission of the author and the publisher. The five founding fathers of ASEAN (namely the Foreign Ministers of Indonesia , Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand), in issuing the ASEAN Declaration in Bangkok in August 1967, envisioned it to encompass all ten countries of Southeast Asia under one sub-regional organisation. Brunei became the sixth member of ASEAN in 1984, while Vietnam joined the Association in 1995. The ASEAN Heads of Government in 1995 decided to admit Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar simultaneously to fulfill the vision of having an ASEAN 10. The formal admission ceremony for the three was set to take place during the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Kuala Lumpur in July 1997. However, the ASEAN plan was shattered by the events of 5 and 6 July 1997 in Phnom Penh. Forces loyal to Second Prime Minister Hun Sen fought the armed men of First Prime Minister Prince Norodom Ranariddh, resulting in the deposition from power of the Prince. The Malaysian Chairman of the ASEAN Standing Committee issued on 8 July a statement on behalf of ASEAN, expressing dismay over the turn of events in Cambodia and calling on the two Prime Ministers to resolve their differences peacefully . On 10 July, a special meeting of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers was convened in Kuala Lumpur where in it was decided ‘to delay the admission of Cambodia into ASEAN until a later date’. The meeting also agreed that the admission of Laos and Myanmar would proceed as scheduled and that ‘the ASEAN countries stand ready to contribute their efforts to the peaceful resolution of the situation in Cambodia’. The window of opportunity for ASEAN came on 23 July. Mr Ung Huot, the Foreign Minister of Cambodia, was allowed to represent his country at the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, since Cambodia had the status of Observer. At the informal dinner of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers on that date, Mr Ung Huot was asked to confirm the statement attributed to 022 AR Ch 22 22/9/03, 12:42 PM 114 The ASEAN Troika on Cambodia 115 By: ROS Size: 7.5" x 10.25" J/No: 03-14474 Fonts: New Baskerville him which he made before leaving Phnom Penh that morning. The statement said Cambodia remained committed to join ASEAN and that Cambodia acknowledged that ASEAN had a role to play in its peace process. Aside from confirming this statement , Mr Ung Huot was also asked whether the statement reflected the position of Mr Hun Sen and the Royal Cambodian Government. On 25 July, the Cabinet of Mr Hun Sen issued a clarification stating that ‘Cambodia welcomes the role of ASEAN in contributing to stability and peace in Cambodia on the basis of respect for national independence and sovereignty, through preventing foreign interference into the internal affairs of Cambodia’. This was followed by a letter from Mr Ung Huot, dated 29 July 1997, to Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Domingo L. Siazon, Jr., stating: I have the pleasure to reconfirm to Your Excellency that Cambodia welcomes ASEAN’s role in helping to restore political stability in the country’. It will be seen from these two documents that ASEAN had been given a legitimate and tacit mandate to play a role in the Cambodian situation. ASEAN, for its part, decided to create the ASEAN Troika to keep ASEAN engaged in its efforts to contribute to the restoration of political stability in Cambodia. The Troika was to be composed of the Foreign Ministers of the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand. The Philippines was acknowledged as the Chairman since it was at that time the new Chairman of the ASEAN Standing Committee (ASC). Indonesia was in the Troika because of its prominent role in the Paris Peace Accords on Cambodia in 1991. Thailand was also included because of its geographical propinquity to Cambodia and due to the presence of Prince Rannariddh and other Cambodian political exiles in Thailand. Thereafter, the Troika set in motion a sort of shuttle...