China’s Pact with Cambodia, Laos an Interference in ASEAN’s Domestic Affairs: Former Sec-Gen

Channel NewsAsia

25 April 2016

The recent move by Cambodia and Laos to make a pact with China on how to settle the South China Sea dispute amounted to them interfering with the domestic affairs of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), said former ASEAN Secretary-General Ong Keng Yong.

Mr Ong, who was speaking at the ASEAN Community forum in Jakarta on Monday (Apr 25), said this was surprising because Cambodia and Laos are non-claimant states in the South China Sea territorial dispute.

Only four ASEAN countries, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia and Philippines have overlapping territorial claims in the South China Sea with China.

Mr Ong who is currently the Executive Deputy Chairman of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore said: “It has always been in the parameter of the ASEAN-China declaration on the conduct of parties in the South China Sea.

“So, for this kind of announcement that two of the non-ASEAN claimant states have said certain things about ASEAN’s position, I think it’s very surprising.

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RSIS / Online

Last updated on 26/04/2016