Cambodian
Prime Minister Hun Sen has warned his Asean counterparts against meddling in
South China Sea claims ahead of a landmark ruling on the dispute lodged by the
Philippines expected to be announced next week.
The
Philippines, who have long claimed the Scarborough shoal, filed with the Hague
arbitration court in 2013 after Chinese naval ships refused to leave the shoal.
The ruling is touted for Thursday, July 7. China has indicated it will not be
recognized by the giant, with diplomats touring the globe in recent weeks
gathering support.
The South
China Sea has increasingly wedged the Asean regional bloc, with some member
states, like Cambodia, arguing for bilateral resolutions to the dispute rather
than Asean-China talks.
Speaking
on Tuesday (28/06) at the 65th anniversary celebrations of the ruling Cambodia
People’s Party (CPP) in Phnom Penh, Hun Sen again lashed out at Asean.
“The CPP
does not support — and more so is against — any declaration by Asean to support
the decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in relation to the South
China Sea disputes,” he said, as quoted by Cambodia Daily.
“Efforts
by some countries outside the region to mobilize forces against China would
bring negative impacts on Asean and peace in the region.”
Hun Sen’s
apparent support for China raised eyebrows earlier this month after a statement
issued following a meeting of Asean foreign ministers was mysteriously
retracted.
Sources
suggested Cambodia, Laos or Myanmar were behind the retraction, an accusation
Hun Sen deemed “unacceptable.”
“We
expressed our serious concerns over recent and ongoing developments, which have
eroded trust and confidence, increased tensions and which may have the
potential to undermine peace, security and stability in the South China Sea,”
the statement said.
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