Tea Banh travels to us for Asean defense ministers meeting
Defense Minister Tea Banh will meet Tuesday in Hawaii with U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel as well as nine other Asean defense ministers at the first U.S.-hosted meeting with the regional defense chiefs, officials said. Gen. Banh, speaking at a news conference at Phnom Penh International Airport before his departure, told reporters that he plans to inform the ministers and Mr. Hagel about the “real situation” in Cambodia. “We cannot let some people speak alone. Countries do not listen only to one side. If they want to know the real situation, they will listen to both sides,” he said, without mentioning the opposition CNRP by name. … General Nem Sowath, director-general of the Defense Ministry’s foreign affairs and cooperation department, said Gen. Banh’s agenda includes three topics: the U.S.’ political priorities in Asean, including military cooperation; sea border disputes; and regional stability. …. Carlyle Thayer, a Southeast Asia expert at the Australian Defense Force Academy, said that the meeting would likely avoid discussions that might upset China. “I suspect this will be very general and tentative, as Asean doesn’t want to be seen as coming out of this meeting as working with the U.S. against China,” he said. …
Mech Dara and Joshua Wilwohl
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/tea-banh-travels-to-us-for-asean-defense-ministers-meeting-55381/
