FACTBOX-Southeast Asian nations -- friends or foes?
Oct 22 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian policymakers began meetings in the Thai seaside resort town of Hua Hin on Thursday against a backdrop of festering diplomatic, territorial and cultural disputes.
These are a few of the issues in the background as leaders of the 10-nation Association of South East Asian Nations meet from Oct. 22-25.
CAMBODIA-THAILAND
Cambodia and Thailand are in a standoff over land surrounding a 900-year-old, cliff-top Hindu temple known as Preah Vihear. Skirmishes in the area have killed seven troops in the past year.
As recently as September, Cambodia accused Thai soldiers of burning a boy alive after shooting at villagers in the area. That same week, local villagers hurled stones at about 4,000 Thai protesters who pressed Thailand's claim to the area.
Thailand is challenging a U.N. decision to make the temple a world heritage site under Cambodian jurisdiction. Cambodia was awarded the temple in a 1962 international court ruling that did not determine who owns 1.8 square miles (4.6 sq km) next to it.
MALAYSIA-INDONESIA
Indonesia and Malaysia are embroiled in a long-running territorial dispute over the oil-rich Ambalat area, off Borneo. The feud has its origins in a map Malaysia published in 1979 claiming the territory. Indonesia has protested since.
Both sides have handed out contracts to big foreign firms in the region, close to Indonesia's East Kalimantan province and Malaysia's state of Sabah.Navies from both sides faced off several times this year in the area, with Jakarta saying it nearly opened fire on May 25 on a Malaysian patrol vessel.
Adding to tensions, Malaysia made what was seen as an affront to Indonesian culture by producing a tourism documentary featuring the traditional pendet dance usually performed in the Indonesian island of Bali. Some Indonesians responded by forming a vigilante group to hunt down Malaysians working in Jakarta.
Malaysia and Indonesia are also feuding over rightful ownership of batik-making. Indonesia recently celebrated a triumph over Malaysia when U.N. cultural organisation UNESCO added Indonesia's method of making batik to its list of the world's Intangible Cultural Heritage.
That prompted Indonesians to call Malaysian batik plagiarism, deepening a cultural rift between the Muslim neighbours.
SOUTH CHINA SEA
The South China Sea is 648,000 square miles (1.7 million sq km), containing more than 200 mostly uninhabitable small islands, rocks and reefs. It borders China and Taiwan to the north, Vietnam to the west, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, and Singapore to the south and southwest, and the Philippines to the east. Four ASEAN states -- Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines and Brunei -- along with China and Taiwan are involved in long-running disputes over the islands, which include the Spratlys and Paracels.
The shortest route between the Pacific and Indian oceans, it has some of the world's busiest shipping lanes. Over half the globe's oil tanker traffic passes through it. Most shipping is of raw materials, such as crude oil from the Gulf, to East Asian countries. The sea is also said to hold valuable fishing grounds, and as-yet unexploited oil and natural gas fields.
SINGAPORE-MALAYSIA
Malaysia and Singapore are in a spat over waters surrounding adjacent islets where the Singapore Strait meets the South China Sea, a strategic route through which 80,000 ships pass each year.
The International Court of Justice ruled in 2008 that Singapore owns Pedra Branca islet, known in Malaysia as Pulau Batu Puteh. Malaysia was given the smaller Middle Rocks.
It left the two to decide on South Ledge, and Malaysia, promptly laid claim to the rocks visible only at low tide.
This adds to the historical baggage saddling Malaysia and Singapore since the island-state split from Malaysia over 40 years ago. The two haggle over issues ranging from water supplies to land reclamation, transport links and use of airspace. Malaysia is at the heart of Singapore's military defence planning.
PHILIPPINES-MALAYSIA
The Philippines is still pursuing claims on Sabah province in Malaysia, while Indonesia and Malaysia both claim Sipadan, which is a part of Sabah as well. Manila says Sabah is part of the sultanate of Sulu, which is part of the Philippines.
Malaysia still pays royalties to the heirs of the Sultan of Sulu, who live in the Philippines.
MYANMAR
Myanmar and its shoddy human rights record is ASEAN's biggest diplomatic headache. The United States and the European Union have repeatedly urged ASEAN to use whatever leverage it has to induce the military government to free opposition leader Aung San Kyi from house arrest along with some 2,000 other political prisoners. Myanmar, however, spurned an ASEAN appeal two months ago seeking a pardon for Suu Kyi ahead of elections next year, showing the limited influence the grouping has over the junta.
(Compiled by Jason Szep, Jeremy Laurence, David Chance and Raju Gopalakrishnan; Editing by Bill Tarrant)
These are a few of the issues in the background as leaders of the 10-nation Association of South East Asian Nations meet from Oct. 22-25.
CAMBODIA-THAILAND
Cambodia and Thailand are in a standoff over land surrounding a 900-year-old, cliff-top Hindu temple known as Preah Vihear. Skirmishes in the area have killed seven troops in the past year.
As recently as September, Cambodia accused Thai soldiers of burning a boy alive after shooting at villagers in the area. That same week, local villagers hurled stones at about 4,000 Thai protesters who pressed Thailand's claim to the area.
Thailand is challenging a U.N. decision to make the temple a world heritage site under Cambodian jurisdiction. Cambodia was awarded the temple in a 1962 international court ruling that did not determine who owns 1.8 square miles (4.6 sq km) next to it.
MALAYSIA-INDONESIA
Indonesia and Malaysia are embroiled in a long-running territorial dispute over the oil-rich Ambalat area, off Borneo. The feud has its origins in a map Malaysia published in 1979 claiming the territory. Indonesia has protested since.
Both sides have handed out contracts to big foreign firms in the region, close to Indonesia's East Kalimantan province and Malaysia's state of Sabah.Navies from both sides faced off several times this year in the area, with Jakarta saying it nearly opened fire on May 25 on a Malaysian patrol vessel.
Adding to tensions, Malaysia made what was seen as an affront to Indonesian culture by producing a tourism documentary featuring the traditional pendet dance usually performed in the Indonesian island of Bali. Some Indonesians responded by forming a vigilante group to hunt down Malaysians working in Jakarta.
Malaysia and Indonesia are also feuding over rightful ownership of batik-making. Indonesia recently celebrated a triumph over Malaysia when U.N. cultural organisation UNESCO added Indonesia's method of making batik to its list of the world's Intangible Cultural Heritage.
That prompted Indonesians to call Malaysian batik plagiarism, deepening a cultural rift between the Muslim neighbours.
SOUTH CHINA SEA
The South China Sea is 648,000 square miles (1.7 million sq km), containing more than 200 mostly uninhabitable small islands, rocks and reefs. It borders China and Taiwan to the north, Vietnam to the west, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, and Singapore to the south and southwest, and the Philippines to the east. Four ASEAN states -- Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines and Brunei -- along with China and Taiwan are involved in long-running disputes over the islands, which include the Spratlys and Paracels.
The shortest route between the Pacific and Indian oceans, it has some of the world's busiest shipping lanes. Over half the globe's oil tanker traffic passes through it. Most shipping is of raw materials, such as crude oil from the Gulf, to East Asian countries. The sea is also said to hold valuable fishing grounds, and as-yet unexploited oil and natural gas fields.
SINGAPORE-MALAYSIA
Malaysia and Singapore are in a spat over waters surrounding adjacent islets where the Singapore Strait meets the South China Sea, a strategic route through which 80,000 ships pass each year.
The International Court of Justice ruled in 2008 that Singapore owns Pedra Branca islet, known in Malaysia as Pulau Batu Puteh. Malaysia was given the smaller Middle Rocks.
It left the two to decide on South Ledge, and Malaysia, promptly laid claim to the rocks visible only at low tide.
This adds to the historical baggage saddling Malaysia and Singapore since the island-state split from Malaysia over 40 years ago. The two haggle over issues ranging from water supplies to land reclamation, transport links and use of airspace. Malaysia is at the heart of Singapore's military defence planning.
PHILIPPINES-MALAYSIA
The Philippines is still pursuing claims on Sabah province in Malaysia, while Indonesia and Malaysia both claim Sipadan, which is a part of Sabah as well. Manila says Sabah is part of the sultanate of Sulu, which is part of the Philippines.
Malaysia still pays royalties to the heirs of the Sultan of Sulu, who live in the Philippines.
MYANMAR
Myanmar and its shoddy human rights record is ASEAN's biggest diplomatic headache. The United States and the European Union have repeatedly urged ASEAN to use whatever leverage it has to induce the military government to free opposition leader Aung San Kyi from house arrest along with some 2,000 other political prisoners. Myanmar, however, spurned an ASEAN appeal two months ago seeking a pardon for Suu Kyi ahead of elections next year, showing the limited influence the grouping has over the junta.
(Compiled by Jason Szep, Jeremy Laurence, David Chance and Raju Gopalakrishnan; Editing by Bill Tarrant)
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