Cambodian leaders welcome ASEAN mediation
Political crisis, human rights dispute mark forum's end
July 29, 1997
Web posted at: 10:16 a.m. EDT (1416 GMT)KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (CNN) -- Agreement on Asian mediation for Cambodia and disagreement over human rights dominated the final day of talks between Asian and Western ministers Tuesday.
The issues were addressed during a final news conference that wrapped up talks between foreign ministers of the nine-member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its 10 Western dialogue partners, many of which are former colonial rulers of ASEAN nations.
Malaysian Foreign Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced that Cambodian Foreign Minister Ung Huot had faxed a letter saying that Cambodian Second Prime Minister Hun Sen welcomed ASEAN mediation for Cambodia.
A L S O :
Pol Pot looks frail in TV footage
The letter quotes Hun Sen as saying that a new ASEAN mission can come any time it wants, preferably this week, to help solve the Cambodian political crisis.
That crisis was sparked earlier this month, when Hun Sen ousted First Prime Minister Prince Norodom Ranariddh in a violent takeover.
Ranariddh fled the country and has been campaigning for international support to pressure Hun Sen to cede some power and implement political reforms.
Commenting on Hun Sen's letter, Abdullah said, "It means now we have a role to play and we will definitely do all we can to help. It is in the interest of everyone."
Hun Sen had rejected a previous ASEAN peace proposal, accusing the organization of interfering in Cambodia's domestic affairs.
ASEAN delayed admission of Cambodia as a new member because of the crisis.
However, at the annual ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur that preceded the talks with Western partners, ASEAN did admit Laos and Burma as new members. The other member nations are Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Cambodia is now the only Southeast Asian nation which is not a member of ASEAN.
Another key issue addressed at the news conference was human rights. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad last week called for a review of the U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights, saying Western ideas of human rights focused too much on individual rights and not enough on the need for social stability.
The country's foreign minister said Tuesday that Western nations had to accept the fact that Asian nations, too, held firm views on the issue.
"Sometimes if there is too much freedom exercised then democracy will be destroyed," Abdullah said.
However, U.S. Undersecretary of State Stuart Eizenstat replied that human rights values were "universal values."
"Respecting the individual is not contrary to social stability or economic prosperity," he said.
U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright also has focused on the human rights issue in her attacks on Burma.
Albright has issued a barrage of critical statements about the lack of freedom of movement, freedom of speech and political rights in Burma.
On Tuesday, Eizenstat repeated U.S. attacks against Burma over its role in drug trafficking, saying Burma was laundering drug money with impunity, and that drug traffickers had become investors in the country's economy.
Burmese Foreign Minister Ohn Gyaw on Tuesday hit back at media and Western criticism of the government in Rangoon. "The press has been writing wrong reports based on the context of people opposed to the government," he said.
"Burma has been cooperating with the human rights commission in Geneva and the United Nations," he said.
Canadian Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy said he would recommend that his government impose new economic sanctions against Burma because of its refusal to introduce democratic reforms.
Canadian officials said sanctions could include a ban on investment and trade curbs, including higher tariffs.
Jakarta Bureau Chief Maria Ressa and Reuters contributed to this report.
- Message Board: Cambodian Conflict
- Message Board: Southeast Asian talks
- Newsmaker Profile: Pol Pot - Cambodian Communist Leader
- Newsmaker Profile: Norodom Sihanouk - Cambodian King
Related stories:
- Pol Pot looks frail in TV footage - July 29, 1997
- Asian, Western officials discuss Cambodia, drugs - July 28, 1997
- Burma, Cambodia dominate Southeast Asian talks - July 27, 1997
- ASEAN rejects Cambodian membership - July 23, 1997
- Cambodia's Ranariddh to accept ASEAN peace proposal - July 18, 1997
Related sites:
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- ASEAN - the official website of Association of the Association of South East Asian Nations
- ASEAN InfoSite - summary of pertinent information to ASEAN, as well as informative links of interest
- ASEAN - Institute - Institute for the Promotion of Scientific, Economic and Technical Cooperation with ASEAN Countries
- ASEAN Information Superhighway
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