A Change of Guard

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Tuesday 16 September 2008

Cambodia asks if Thais able to host ASEAN summit

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia - Cambodia's prime minister said Monday that neighboring Thailand's political crisis raises questions about whether it will be able to host an upcoming summit of Southeast Asian leaders.

He also said that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations should ponder asking another country to chair the December meeting in place of Thailand.

Prime Minister Hun Sen was reacting to turmoil that has seen Thailand's prime minister forced from office by one of the country's courts and the grounds of his office occupied for almost three weeks by anti-government demonstrators — with no clear resolution in sight.

Thailand's Parliament is supposed to pick a new prime minister on Wednesday, but there are many signs the situation may be deadlocked.

"I am wondering whether we can have the summit there since there is no government in Thailand yet," Hun Sen told reporters. "Where else in the world has a government building been occupied by protesters like this? Only in Thailand. It is quite weird."

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Its members rotate the chairmanship of the grouping in alphabetical order.

Cambodia has a sometimes prickly relations with its bigger, richer neighbor, most vividly illustrated in 2003 when the Thai Embassy in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh was burned down by rioters over a remark by a Thai actress that allegedly questioned the country's sovereignty.

Nationalistic feelings in both countries were stoked recently when Thailand revived a complaint about a border temple once claimed by both countries but awarded to Cambodian in 1962 by the World Court.

Hun Sen said the situation in Thailand was affecting "not just the Thai image exclusively, but ASEAN's image as well."

"If ASEAN cannot meet in Thailand, should (the chairmanship) be returned to Singapore or passed on to Vietnam? What is to be done?" he asked. "We will wait and see." - AP

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