Woman to replace recalled Cambodian envoy to PH

Secretary of Foreign Affairs Albert del Rosario. AP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Good relations between the Philippines and Cambodia will continue after all, with Phnom Penh sending a “high-ranking” diplomat to Manila to replace the ambassador it recently recalled for making remarks that did not help ease tensions in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario announced on Friday that the Cambodian foreign ministry had selected a female diplomat to replace Hos Sereythonh, the ambassador recalled earlier this month after issuing a letter accusing the Philippines and Vietnam of “dirty politics” in pushing for a united stand by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) on their territorial disputes with China in the West Philippine Sea.

Female diplomat

The Cambodian foreign ministry provided little details, but Del Rosario said Phnom Penh has chosen “a lady that’s quite high in the ministry” to replace Sereythonh, who reportedly left Manila earlier this week.

“She’s of assistant secretary rank now. She has to present an agrément,” Del Rosario said, referring to the document that incoming chiefs of mission present to host countries as diplomatic courtesy.

The receiving country has the discretion whether to accept an agrément. Del Rosario said he saw no problem about the document.

Recall

Cambodia recalled Hos Sereythonh shortly after Manila protested his remarks accusing the Philippines and Vietnam of pressuring the Asean to take what he described as an “inflexible and nonnegotiable” position on the West Philippine Sea dispute.

Hos Sereythonh’s letter was published in a Manila newspaper in response to Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Policy Erlinda Basilio’s article “What happened in Phnom Penh,” which sought to shed light on Asean’s failure to issue a customary joint statement after its 45th foreign ministerial meeting in Phnom Penh in July.

Basilio’s article was published in major Philippine dailies.

In his strongly worded letter, Hos Sereythonh blamed the failure on the insistence of the Philippines and Vietnam to have their disputes with China mentioned in the joint statement.

Moving on

His letter was published just as the Philippines was trying to move on after the failure in Phnom Penh.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) summoned Hos Sereythonh and handed him a note demanding an explanation for his remarks. But he never showed up at the DFA. He instead sent his second secretary, Tan Chandaravuth.

DFA officials earlier said that they were optimistic Philippine-Cambodian relations would remain strong despite the incident.