| Asean failure to issue statement angers Philippines |
Manolo B Jara
MANILA The Philippines has deplored the failure of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to issue a joint statement at the end of the meeting of its foreign ministers in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
However, Secretary Albert Del Rosario of the Department of Foreign Affairs stopped short of blaming Cambodia, the host country, for the non-issuance of the joint statement, described as the first in the 10-member Asean in its 45 years of existence.
Del Rosario confirmed the non-issuance arose from the dispute on whether the communiqué should mention the standoff between the Philippines and China on the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.
He said that during the meeting, Cambodia has “consistently opposed any mention in the joint communiqué of the Scarborough Shoal” known as Panatag to Filipinos and Huangyan Island to the Chinese.
“We simply wanted the fact that we discussed the issue and it should be reflected in the joint communiqué, no more, no less,” Del Rosario emphasised.
“It should have been a simple sentence or a paragraph,” he added, “in the communiqué. We just want a recognition that the Scarborough Shoal was discussed.”
According to Del Rosario, the Philippines had the support of the Asean secretariat and other members he did not identify for the inclusion of the Scarborough Shoal in the joint communiqué.
He also disputed Cambodia’s claim that bilateral issues were not included in past joint communiqués of Asean.
Del Rosario cited as an example the inclusion of the territorial dispute between Cambodia and Thailand which was tackled during another annual summit of Asean foreign ministers.
Aside from the Philippines and Cambodia, the other Asean members are Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar.
Three of the Asean members – Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam – are also involved in a territorial dispute with China over the Spratly island group in the South China Sea which experts have confirmed to be rich in fisheries as well as mineral resources such as natural gas and petroleum.
The three Asean members have laid partial claims to the Spratlys in sharp contrast to China’s stand of full ownership of the disputed area, citing historical records.
China has also rejected a multilateral solution to the dispute and preferred instead a bilateral discussion with the rival claimants.
Oman Tribune
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