President: Indonesia has moral responsibility over Cambodia-Thailand conflict

Mon, 7 February 2011

ANTARA News Agency

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia which is the current chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has a moral responsibility to become part of the solution of the conflict between Cambodia and Thailand.

"This year Indonesia as the chairman of ASEAN has a moral responsibility to become part of the solution (of the Cambodia-Thailand conflict)," he said at his office here on Monday.

In view of that he said he had sent foreign minister Marty Natalegawa to Cambodia and Thailand to meet his counterparts.

"I have sent the foreign minister to Cambodia and Thailand. Today he will be in Cambodia and tomorrow in Thailand," he said.

President Yudhoyono said there had been communication before between the Indonesian foreign minister and his Cambodian and Thai counterparts regarding the intention of his visit to their countries.

The recent clash between the Cambodian and Thai military forces was not the first.

Before on several occasions President Yudhoyono had already held separate meetings with the Thai and Cambodian prime ministers to discuss their border dispute.

"At the time they made commitment to exercise restraint to prevent unwanted incidents," he said.

In view of that President Yudhoyono hoped the mission carried out the foreign minister now would be fruitful and a peaceful solution could be found in line with the ASEAN Charter.

The ASEAN sectretary general, Surin Pitsuwan, earlier called for Thailand and Cambodia to accept the ASEAN offer to help find a temporary ceasefire to reduce tension and emotion for the sake of the bigger interest of the two countries` peoples and ASEAN.

He said the escalation in the situation on the border between Thailand and Cambodia could decrease confidence in ASEAN and affect tourism, investment and economic recovery efforts in the region morever the clash had claimed lives.

The armed conflict flared up on Friday (Feb 2) along the disputed area not far away from the old Preah Vihear Hindu temple.

The border conflict between the two countries had escalated for the past few years because, despite the International Court of Justice`s decision declaring that Preah Vihear belongs to Cambodia in 1962, the area around the temple remained a disputed area.