ASEAN won't referee in border dispute until both sides ask (Roundup)

Jul 22, 2008, 8:40 GMT

Singapore - The Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) will not step in to referee a border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia until both sides agree to its mediation, diplomats said Tuesday.

Foreign ministers of the 10-country grouping held an unscheduled meeting Tuesday on the sidelines of their annual meetings in Singapore to discuss the tension among its two members.

While Cambodia has sought ASEAN's assistance in resolving the row, the foreign ministers 'didn't go any further' than saying that the group was prepared to help, ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan told reporters after the meeting.

'ASEAN stands ready to extend any support if the two sides would like ASEAN to play a role but we didn't go further than that,' he said.

'It's unfortunate that we have to deal with the issues of two neighbours but we cannot control the situation,' he said. 'Whether or not the situation is dangerous, that has to be assessed.'

A meeting on Monday between a joint border committee of Cambodia and Thailand did not produce satisfactory results, prompting Phnom Penh to seek the help of ASEAN in resolving the issue.

Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Nam Hong, who was not present in the ASEAN meeting, asked Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo, current chair of ASEAN, to mediate in the dispute.

A Filipino diplomat who attended the lunch meeting on Tuesday said the ministers decided that Cambodia and Thailand must first agree on what role ASEAN should play in the dispute.

'Our understanding is for the two countries to agree first whether they need ASEAN to come into the picture,' said the diplomat, requesting anonymity. 'ASEAN is ready to help if they ask us to.'

On Sunday, the ASEAN ministers urged its two bickering members to exercise utmost restraint and to settle the problem amicably and offered the facilities of ASEAN to hasten the resolution of the row.

Nearly 1,000 Cambodian troops and 500 Thai soldiers continue to face each other on the disputed territory since the tension flared a week ago.