By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive
UNITED NATIONS, February 7 -- After Cambodia's prime minister Hun Sen wrote Sunday to the President of the UN Security Council, Brazil's Ambassador Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, she made 14 calls to Council members and the Secretary General's office about the border skirmishes with Thailand.
The consensus on Sunday, Inner City Press is told by sources, was to have ASEAN deal with the conflict in the first instance, with Indonesia's foreign minister (and former UN ambassador) taking the lead.
On Monday morning, however, something change. With the issue set to be discussed in closed door consultations under Any Other Business, two countries are said to want there to be a formal meeting on Cambodia's requests, which now include a request for UN peacekeepers and a buffer zone.
Much discussed on Monday morning at the UN was the last time this border and temple dispute came to the Council, in 2008. Then, with fellow ASEAN member Viet Nam holding the Council presidency, pressure was brought to bear to keep the dispute at the national and regional level.
Finally, Viet Nam's Permanent Representative told Inner City Press, “Letter withdrawn.... problem disappear.” But will that happen this time? Perhaps not. Watch this site.
