Cambodia, Myanmar back negotiations over South China Sea by all parties concerned

Cambodia and Myanmar fully supported all parties concerned to negotiate with each other peacefully to resolve their disputes over South China Sea, Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said on Monday.

The statement was posted on his Facebook page after a meeting with newly-designated Myanmar Ambassador to Cambodia Myint Soe at the Peace Palace in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh.

Last week, Hun Sen also called on countries outside the region to cease their interference on the South China Sea issue.

He said the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) would not support, and more so would be against, any declaration by ASEAN to support the decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in relation to the South China Sea dispute.

He said that the CPP considered the arbitral tribunal's upcoming decision as "the worst political collusion in the framework of international politics," the result of which would lead to division among ASEAN members themselves and between ASEAN and China.

Leaders of 147 non-governmental organizations, associations and trade unions in Cambodia on Monday issued a joint statement, expressing their support to Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen's stance over the South China Sea issue.

"We all back the stance of the Royal Government of Cambodia for not joining in issuing any statement that supports the arbitral tribunal's decision related to the dispute in the South China Sea, " the joint statement said.

"We all insist that all parties concerned exercise utmost restraint, do not use force or threaten to use force on the issues of South China Sea in order to give possibility to the parties directly concerned to negotiate with each other based on the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), " it said.

In 2013, the Philippines unilaterally filed compulsory arbitration against China at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague with respect to their disputes in the South China Sea.

The Chinese government has reiterated its non-acceptance and non-participation stance on the case.

(APD)