JAKARTA - Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Friday strongly criticized Malaysia's foreign minister for being 'arrogant and disrespectful', after voicing concerns about meetings with Myanmar's military regime.
Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah last week said some members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) had doubts about Prime Minister Hun Sen's visit to Myanmar.
Visiting as Chair of ASEAN, the arrival of PM Hun Sen on January 7 is said to be at risk of being interpreted as ASEAN's acknowledgment of the military regime of Myanmar's generals.
Minister Saifuddin suggested PM Hun Sen should seek input from ASEAN colleagues beforehand.
Relatedly, PM Hun Sen in a phone call on Friday with Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) defended his trip to Myanmar and rebuked Saifuddin, according to a reading of the conversation provided to the media by broadcaster TVK.
"Samdech (Hun Sen) said the foreign minister should not be too arrogant with inappropriate remarks to ASEAN leaders, especially the chairman," he said.
"And he has no decency," continued Prime Minister Hun Sen.
Malaysia's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Prime Minister Hun Sen's remarks.
The military's overthrow of Myanmar's elected government last year has been a major setback for ASEAN as it seeks to raise its international profile as a diverse, integrated and effective economic and political bloc.
However, gaps have emerged in ASEAN as to how best to deal with a military coup in Myanmar.
Under Brunei's leadership, ASEAN made the surprise move late last year by barring the junta from joining key meetings, over its failure to implement the agreed ASEAN Five Consensus Points to end Myanmar's post-coup conflict.
Meanwhile, Cambodia's new chairman, however, has indicated he wants to engage the military regime, rather than isolate the generals.
On the occasion of the phone call, President Jokowi urged Hun Sen to stick to the ASEAN consensus, a call he agreed to, according to the reading.
It said PM Hun Sen stressed that his departure to Myanmar was "to plant trees, not to cut trees" and Saifuddin's remarks were "not true within the ASEAN framework."
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