According to Khmer Times, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet's special envoy for ASEAN affairs, Mr. So Naro, on December 31, announced that his country maintains a neutral stance on the East Sea dispute in the context of ASEAN member countries expressing concerns about rising tensions between the Philippines and China.
According to Mr. So Naro, Cambodia calls on all relevant parties to persevere in dialogue and avoid confrontation. He emphasized: “Cambodia’s view is that relevant parties need to be patient, resolve disputes peacefully based on dialogue and negotiation, and strictly implement the DOC (Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea) to avoid aggravating the situation."
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| Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet (front row, right) attends the 43rd ASEAN Summit in Indonesia on September 5. (Source: Khmer Times) |
Cambodia called on all parties concerned to resolve the dispute “on the basis of understanding” and peaceful means, he said. “The position of Cambodia in particular and ASEAN in general is not to take sides in the conflict between the superpowers, but to maintain ASEAN’s centrality,” he said. Recognizing ASEAN’s previous commitment to peaceful resolution through negotiations and dialogue, he also affirmed that Cambodia and the rest of the bloc hope that the conflict between the superpowers will not spread to other countries in the region and the East Sea.
On this occasion, he expressed hope to see relevant parties resolve disputes based on international law, mainly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Meanwhile, Mr. Kin Phea, Director General of the Cambodian Institute of International Relations (IRIC) under the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said that the Phnom Penh government needs to continue to maintain a neutral stance in the East Sea dispute.
“Cambodia calls on all parties concerned to resolve the dispute in accordance with international law and the United Nations Charter. Cambodia also calls on all parties concerned to formally adopt the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC), which is an important foundation for conflict resolution,” the expert said.
According to Mr. Phea, the Kingdom of Cambodia called on all parties concerned to fully and effectively implement the DOC in the East Sea, which was adopted at the 8th ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh, hosted by Cambodia in 2002, and stated: “ASEAN should maintain its previous stance on the East Sea by avoiding disputes (between China and some ASEAN member countries) from becoming disputes between China and the entire ASEAN. The parties should resolve the disputes based on diplomatic consultations.”
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