DAP: The breaking news in Cambodia: “ASEAN FMs exchange views on regional, global issues” plus 9 more

PHNOM PENH, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The first day of the 45th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting was wrapped up here on Monday. In the afternoon's Retreat session, foreign ministers exchanged views on regional and international issues, a Cambodian spokesman for the 45th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting (AMM) and related meetings said.

The retreat was chaired by Cambodian deputy Prime Minister and foreign minister Hor Namhong.

Speaking in a press briefing after the retreat session, Kao Kim Hourn, secretary of state at Cambodia's foreign ministry, said that the talks focused on the issues in Syria, Korean peninsula, Myanmar's democratization process and the South China Sea.

"For Syria, foreign ministers wanted to see the end of conflict in that country," he said. "And for the Korean peninsula, they expressed their desire to see the resumption of the six-party talks and wanted to see the Korean peninsula free from nuclear weapons."

On the issue of South China Sea, Kao Kim Hourn said that the ASEAN foreign ministers agreed to have ASEAN senior officials meet with Chinese senior officials to discuss the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) from now on.

"At the same time, they also encouraged both ASEAN and China to undertake the agreed five joint activities that had been raised in December last year," he said.

"As this year is the 10th anniversary of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), so it is very important that both sides -- ASEAN and China -- have to undertake those activities," he said.

The foreign ministers also said that they would fully implement the DOC, he said.

The ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

JAKARTA, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian Health Ministry is put under a heightened state of vigilance to monitor the recent development of a mysterious disease that reportedly has killed more than 50 children in Cambodia since April, local media reported on Monday.

The Health Ministry's director general for disease control and environmental health, Tjandra Yoga Aditama, said that his ministry had been corresponding with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Cambodian Health Ministry to gather information about the disease's symptoms, and determine whether or not the disease might spread to other countries.

"Currently, the Cambodian Health Ministry and the WHO have yet to collect all the data. Therefore, we can only refer to the disease as an undiagnosed syndrome and a neuro-respiratory syndrome," Tjandra was quoted as saying by the Antara news agency.

The Cambodian Health Ministry recorded that among the infected children, 59 were between 3 months old and 11 years old and 52 were under the age of 5.

"Our laboratory sample is incomplete since most children died before they received treatment. But, some who received treatment show that they were infected by Enterovirus EV-71," Tjandra said.

The EV-71 is a virus that causes hand, foot and mouth disease ( HFMD). It causes severe complications and death among some patients. HFMD is a common infectious disease among infants and children.

People who are infected with EV-71 may have symptoms such as fever, painful sores in the mouth and a rash with blisters on the hands, feet and buttocks.

Other samples, Tjandra added, showed that the children had dengue and Streptococcus suis. Yet, the samples tested negative for H5N1 virus, other influenza viruses, SARS virus and Nipah virus.

Even though the disease has claimed dozens of lives, the WHO has yet to issue a travel warning for Cambodia.

BEIJING, July 9 (Xinhua) -- China is willing to discuss the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries when conditions mature, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said Monday.

Spokesman Liu Weimin said at a daily news briefing that senior officials from China and ASEAN countries conducted informal discussions regarding the COC in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Sunday.

During the meeting, all parties agreed to fully implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea signed ten years ago by China and ASEAN countries, as well as conduct substantial cooperation under its framework, Liu said.

"As for formulating the COC in the South China Sea, China has said repeatedly that it is willing to discuss the issue with ASEAN countries when conditions mature," said Liu.

"What I want to stress is that the COC is not designed to solve disputes in the South China Sea, but to promote mutual trust and cooperation between parties," he added.

PHNOM PENH, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Three documents on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ), which were scheduled to sign this week during ASEAN meetings, were postponed until November because four of the five recognized nuclear-weapon states (P5) have reservations, a Cambodian senior official said Monday.

Kao Kim Hourn, secretary of state at Cambodia's foreign ministry, said that, originally, three documents were expected to be signed this week. They are the ASEAN Statement on the Protocol to the Treaty of Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ), which was planned to sign on July 9, the Memorandum of Understanding between ASEAN and China to the treaty on SEANWFZ on July 10 and the protocol to the treaty on the SEANWFZ by the P5 on July 12.

"The SEANWFZ Commission decided to postpone the signings until the member states in ASEAN countries are able to work closely with the members of the P5 to resolve the issues of the reservations by members of the P5," he said in a press briefing after the 45th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting (AMM) on Monday.

Four members of the P5 have expressed their reservations. They are France, the United Kingdom, Russia, and the United States.

France voiced its reservations on the rights of self-defense, the U.K. on new threat and development, Russia on the rights of foreign ships and aircraft to pass into the nuclear free zone, he said, adding that the U.S. would not introduce the text of reservations before the signings, but only during the rectification process.

"We do hope that the signings should be done--all signs together--in November during the 21st ASEAN Summit," he said. ASEAN leaders signed the SEANWFZ Treaty in Bangkok, Thailand on December 15, 1995 and it took effect two years later. The negotiations between the ASEAN and the P5 on the protocol have been held since May 2001. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) group Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

PHNOM PENH, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The 45th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting (AMM) kicked off here on Monday, focusing on politics, security, food and energy security, economics and culture in order to further advance the bloc's cooperation toward a community by 2015.

Speaking at the opening session of the meeting at the Peace Palace, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen said that the meeting coincided with the celebration of the 45th anniversary of ASEAN and it was convened amid ASEAN's ongoing efforts toward building the ASEAN Community by 2015.

He said that after 45 years, ASEAN has become a closely- integrated political and economic entity, "an influential player in Asia and an indispensable strategic partner of major countries and organizations in the world."

"The ASEAN achievements recorded to date are enormous and of great importance," he said. "Those achievements underline the strong commitment and political will of ASEAN to continue working closely together in the ASEAN spirit of unity and solidarity, friendship and cooperation."

However, despite the achievements, ASEAN still continues to face challenges both globally and regionally such as the fragility of the economic recovery of developed countries, coupled with prolonged severe debt crisis in Europe, the ongoing social and political turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa, high oil prices, food and energy security, disasters, and terrorism and trans-national crimes.

"These still pose a great threat to the sustainability of socio-economic development of ASEAN achieved over the last four decades and the success of our effort towards realizing a full ASEAN Community in 2015," said Hun Sen.

Cambodian deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said at the opening remarks that ASEAN has been making steady progress in consolidating solidarity and unity within ASEAN and in deepening cooperation with all dialogue partners in order to build an economically sound and socially vibrant ASEAN Community, as well as contributing to peace and prosperity in the region.

Apart from the 45th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting, the Post- Ministerial Conferences, the 19th ASEAN Regional Forum and the 2nd East Asia Summit (EAS) Foreign Ministers Meeting will also be held until July 13.

Top on the list are the instruments for the accession of the European Union to one of the region's foremost instruments on peace and security, the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), said a press release ahead of the meeting.

As a testament of the importance of the TAC governing inter- state relations in the region, the United Kingdom, which is a non- Dialogue Partner of ASEAN, would also be acceding to the TAC, the press release said.

At the end of the 45th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting, there will be a signing ceremony on the ASEAN Statement on the Protocol to the Treaty of Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) and a Joint Communiqu will be adopted.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)group Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

PHNOM PENH, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The latest laboratory results showed that Enterovirus Type 71 (EV-71) was found among children who had died from undiagnosed syndrome since April, according to a joint statement of Cambodia's Health Ministry and the World Health Organization (WHO) released Sunday midnight.

"Based on the latest laboratory results, a significant proportion of the patients' samples tested positive for Enterovirus 71," said the statement, adding the samples were found negative for H5N1 and other influenza viruses.

Sixty-four young children out of 66, having been admitted to the largest children's hospitals in Cambodia since the end of April, were killed by Encephalitis.

Philippe Buchy, Head of Virology Unit at the Institut Pasteur in Cambodia, wrote in an e-mail on Sunday that 15 out of 24 patients with the encephalitis/pulmonary disease were tested positive for EV-71.

"These results now give a good explanation to this outbreak. We will get more results hopefully by next Tuesday or Wednesday," he wrote.

Cambodia's Minister of Health Mam Bun Heng said in the joint statement that further investigation is ongoing. "We hope to be able to conclude our investigation in the coming days," it said.

The EV-71 causes hand foot and mouth disease (HFMD) which results in severe complications and deaths among some patients, said the statement.

HFMD is a common infectious disease of infants and children. The symptoms include fever, painful sores in the mouth, and a rash with blisters on hands, feet and also buttocks, said the statement, adding that it is contagious and infection in spread from person to person by direct contact with nose or throat discharges, saliva, fluid from blisters, or the stool of infected persons. Presently, there is no specific treatment available for HFMD.

PHNOM PENH, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The latest laboratory results showed that Enterovirus Type 71 (EV-71) was found among children who had died from undiagnosed syndrome since April, according to a joint statement of Cambodia's Health Ministry and the World Health Organization (WHO) released Sunday midnight.

"Based on the latest laboratory results, a significant proportion of the patients' samples tested positive for Enterovirus 71," said the statement, adding the samples were found negative for H5N1 and other influenza viruses.

Sixty-four young children out of 66, having been admitted to the largest children's hospitals in Cambodia since the end of April, were killed by Encephalitis.

Philippe Buchy, Head of Virology Unit at the Institut Pasteur in Cambodia, wrote in an e-mail on Sunday that 15 out of 24 patients with the encephalitis/pulmonary disease were tested positive for EV-71.

"These results now give a good explanation to this outbreak. We will get more results hopefully by next Tuesday or Wednesday," he wrote.

Cambodia's Minister of Health Mam Bun Heng said in the joint statement that further investigation is ongoing. "We hope to be able to conclude our investigation in the coming days," it said.

The EV-71 causes hand foot and mouth disease (HFMD) which results in severe complications and deaths among some patients, said the statement.

HFMD is a common infectious disease of infants and children. The symptoms include fever, painful sores in the mouth, and a rash with blisters on hands, feet and also buttocks, said the statement, adding that it is contagious and infection in spread from person to person by direct contact with nose or throat discharges, saliva, fluid from blisters, or the stool of infected persons. Presently, there is no specific treatment available for HFMD.

PHNOM PENH, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Four out of the five recognized nuclear-weapon states (P5) will not be ready to sign on the protocol to the treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) during the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' meeting next week, a Cambodian senior official said Sunday.

The four countries are France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, Kao Kim Hourn, secretary of state at Cambodia's foreign ministry, said in a press briefing after the meeting of the SEANWFZ Commission, which was attended by ASEAN foreign ministers and chaired by Cambodian foreign minister Hor Namhong.

"They (the four countries) have introduced the text of reservation and position reservation to the SEANWFZ commission very late; therefore, the commission has not had more time to review them, and the commission decided that the signing will be postponed so that we will have more time to review the text of reservation and position of reservation," said Kao Kim Hourn. "We do hope that the signing by the four countries can take part during the 21st ASEAN Summit in November this year."

The postponement was made just a week after Cambodia's foreign ministry announced on June 29 that the P5 would sign the protocol during ASEAN Foreign Minsiters' meeting here on July 12.

China, one of the P5, will sign a Memorandum of Understanding with ASEAN on the protocol and treaty to the SEANWFZ on July 10 as scheduled, according to a press release on Sunday.

The MoU will clarify the understanding among the States Parties and China on the application of the treaty and the protocol, it said.

ASEAN leaders signed the SEANWFZ Treaty in Bangkok, Thailand on December 15, 1995 and it took effect two years later. The negotiations between the ASEAN and the P5 on the protocol have been ongoing since May 2001.

The ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.