Jakarta: Indonesian observers will be
assigned to the Cambodia-Thailand border to observe the
ceasefire between the two countries, pending bilateral
negotiations to resolve the conflict over the border issue.
"It is quite a unique arrangement in the sense that
Indonesian observers will be on both the Thai and Cambodian
sides of the boundary.
"I shall over the next couple of days be working together
with my two counterparts to work out the modalities for such
observer presence at the affected border area between the two
sides," Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said at a
press conference at the end of the Informal Meeting of ASEAN
Foreign Ministers here yesterday.
Indonesia is the current Chair of ASEAN.
Natalegawa said the observer team would consist of
civilian and military components and they would not be armed.
"We will be working with the authorities in Thailand and
Cambodia in assigning our observers, to be able to see and
write reports if there are violations on the ground.
"On the technicalities, I need to sit down and think
about this and write to the two ministers, my understanding of
how the observer team could take shape and form," he said.
Natalegawa said the meeting also called on Cambodia and
Thailand to resume bilateral negotiations, including through
the existing mechanism, at the earliest possible opportunity,
with appropriate engagement of Indonesia, to support their
efforts in resolving the issue amicably.
"Although it is not illustrated or indicated in the
chairman`s statement, it is to my understanding, based on the
conversation I had with the two foreign ministers, that the
next meeting of the two sides will be convened in Indonesia."
The minister said the shape and form of the enggagement
would be spelt out when the time comes, but he had made it as
his personal commitment to be available if needed by the two
sides to facilitate any difficulty they might encounter.
PTI
