Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, chair of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which Thailand and Cambodia are members, had been expected to visit Thailand and Cambodia separately Monday. Although his trip was cancelled, Natalegawa told reporters in Jakarta a trilateral meeting could still take place. “The possibility is not closed for a direct meeting among the three of us, but the date has not been decided. The important thing is that communication continues,” he said. The conflict and fierce rhetoric from both sides has been a setback for ASEAN, a 10-member bloc modelled on the European Union that plans to become a regional community by 2015. “Thailand and Cambodia have to show that they really want to promote diplomacy and not violence,” said Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yuhoyono. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged “serious dialogue” to produce an “effective and verifiable” ceasefire. Although on the surface the renewed fighting appears to be a dispute over sovereignty, many experts are sceptical and suggest either government may have started the clashes to discredit the other or to appeal to nationalists at home. The conflict could boost support for Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's government ahead of an election due by July. Cambodia's government, which has had a series of bitter quarrels with Abhisit's administration, could stand to gain if his ruling Democrat Party is voted out of office. The two sides battled for more than three hours from late Sunday morning and pounded each other with mortars and artillery, sending hundreds of villagers fleeing or into hiding in makeshift bomb shelters.
