DAP: The breaking news in Cambodia

JAKARTA, May 8 - A meeting between the prime ministers of Cambodia and Thailand, mediated by the Indonesian president in Jakarta on Sunday, ended with an agreement to have their foreign ministers try once again to end a border dispute that has boiled into shooting war several times since 2008.

Hor Namhong, Cambodia's foreign minister, said that after the meeting between Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva both sides agreed to accept a proposal by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to have another round of talks in Jakarta among the foreign ministers of the three countries to work out differences.

Hor Namhong said Hun Sen urged Abhisit to sign off as soon as possible on terms that will allow unarmed Indonesian observers to monitor a cease-fire along the disputed border.

Abhisit, however, said a meeting of the two countries' Joint Border Commission must precede any deployment of cease-fire monitors.

Since Friday, Cambodia and Thailand, facilitated by Indonesia, have had two meetings, first among foreign ministers and then between the prime ministers.

Indonesia, current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, was asked Feb. 22 to send unarmed military observers to the disputed area to monitor a cease-fire, but although both sides agreed to the dispatch at that time, Thailand has yet to sign off on the deal and has demanded Cambodia pull troops and civilians back from disputed areas before it will accept observers.

The Cambodian and Thai leaders are in Jakarta for the two-day ASEAN summit that ends Sunday afternoon.

In many ways, the summit has been overshadowed by the acrimony between the two ASEAN members and Yudhoyono has been urged by his several fellow ASEAN leaders at the annual 10-country summit to try to get the border war resolved ''within the ASEAN family'' as quickly as possible, while others suggested both have to respect the decision made by the United Nations Security Council and the ASEAN Chair on Feb. 22, 2011.

The ASEAN members are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. (Kyodo)