Charter 'paralysing' my govt: Samak

Thailand had become a laughing stock in the international community as no one could be sure about dealing with us, he claimed.

"It's a shame for Thailand that no one dares to sign an agreement for fear that it would violate the Constitution," Samak said. "We have lost our dignity to Cambodia, to 21 members of the World Heritage Committee and now to Asean."

Asean would begin its annual meeting of foreign ministers in Sunday but it was still unclear who would represent Thailand.

The country is due to takes the reins of the group next week, but has no foreign minister. Noppadon Pattama resigned last week after the Constitution Court ruled a joint communiqué he signed to support Cambodia's application to list the Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage site was unconstitutional.

Deputy Prime Minister Sahas Bunditkul or Surapong Suebwonglee are earmarked to attend the Asean meeting in place of Noppodon as Mingkwan Sangsuwan, the deputy PM who oversees the Foreign Ministry has another meeting in Geneva, according to the Asean Affairs chief Vitavas Srivihok.

Members of Cabinet cried foul after learning at least five documents need to be endorsed and signed by ministers during the Asean meet in Singapore, said Vitavas, who briefed ministers on the Asean meeting.

The documents are the Statement on the Implementation of the Asean Charter, the Instrument of Exten-sion of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia by North Korea, an MoU on the Asean-Australia Development Cooperation Programme, a Singapore Declara-tion on the 15th Asean Regional Forum (ARF), and an ARF State-ment Promoting Collaboration to Prevent Diversion of Precursors into Illicit Drug Manufacture.

"I insisted to the Cabinet that two of the documents - the Treaty of Amity and the Asean-Australia MoU - which Asean members need to sign, are not treaties in accordance with article 190 of the Constitution."

Also, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia had not yet ratified the Asean Charter. "It would be a shame if the next Asean chairman came from the last country to ratify the charter," Vitavas said.