MORNING STAR
11-30-08
BANGKOK (AFP)--The head of the Southeast Asian bloc ASEAN said Sunday that time is "running short" for crisis-hit Thailand as it prepares to hold a major summit, adding that a delay would enable better preparations.
Surin Pitsuwan, secretary general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, issued the statement during a visit to Thailand as the country grapples with a blockade of its airports by anti-government protesters.
"As time is running short, a delay would enable the secretariat to prepare better for the summit" scheduled for Dec. 15-18 in the northern city of Chiang Mai, Surin said in a statement.
The statement said Surin, a former Thai foreign minister, had "reassured" Thai authorities "that a postponement will not negatively affect ASEAN work plans too much."
But it added that he understood the "hesitation" of Thailand, which currently holds the rotating chair of ASEAN, to push back the meeting of leaders of the 10-member grouping.
ASEAN leaders are set to be joined at the summit by heads of government from East Asia as well as the heads of organizations such as the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund and World Trade Organization.
"I certainly empathize with the Thai leaders and am grateful for their consideration of the matter. But I assure them that we can rearrange our work plans if Thailand... decides to postpone it for a few weeks," he said.
Thailand is in the grip of political chaos, as protesters trying to topple the government on Tuesday seized the nation's main Suvarnabhumi airport and forced its closure. They have also taken over a domestic airport.
Thailand's foreign minister Sompong Amornviwat said earlier Sunday that the kingdom may have to postpone the regional summit until March, adding that the cabinet would make its final decision on Tuesday.
"This is just my personal comment, but Thailand may have to postpone, but the postponement would not be long - it may be postponed to early March," Sompong said on Thai state-run NBT television station.
"But it depends on the cabinet's decision, because the postponement would not only affect Thailand financially, but more importantly it will affect the country's image."
Philippine President Gloria Arroyo's spokesman meanwhile said that some Southeast Asian governments have asked for the summit to be postponed.
"There are already requests from some countries to reset the ASEAN summit because of this problem," Arroyo's spokesman Jesus Dureza told reporters, quoting the Philippine Embassy in Bangkok.
"Everybody is also just waiting and hoping that the stand off could be resolved as soon as possible, as peaceful as possible," he said.
He didn't say whether the Philippines has asked for a postponement but said that decision was to be left to the foreign department and Arroyo's security officials.
ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
In 2006, the Philippines rescheduled a December summit for the following month after two powerful storms threatened to batter its central region, although some sources said it was linked to security threats.
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11-30-08
BANGKOK (AFP)--The head of the Southeast Asian bloc ASEAN said Sunday that time is "running short" for crisis-hit Thailand as it prepares to hold a major summit, adding that a delay would enable better preparations.
Surin Pitsuwan, secretary general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, issued the statement during a visit to Thailand as the country grapples with a blockade of its airports by anti-government protesters.
"As time is running short, a delay would enable the secretariat to prepare better for the summit" scheduled for Dec. 15-18 in the northern city of Chiang Mai, Surin said in a statement.
The statement said Surin, a former Thai foreign minister, had "reassured" Thai authorities "that a postponement will not negatively affect ASEAN work plans too much."
But it added that he understood the "hesitation" of Thailand, which currently holds the rotating chair of ASEAN, to push back the meeting of leaders of the 10-member grouping.
ASEAN leaders are set to be joined at the summit by heads of government from East Asia as well as the heads of organizations such as the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund and World Trade Organization.
"I certainly empathize with the Thai leaders and am grateful for their consideration of the matter. But I assure them that we can rearrange our work plans if Thailand... decides to postpone it for a few weeks," he said.
Thailand is in the grip of political chaos, as protesters trying to topple the government on Tuesday seized the nation's main Suvarnabhumi airport and forced its closure. They have also taken over a domestic airport.
Thailand's foreign minister Sompong Amornviwat said earlier Sunday that the kingdom may have to postpone the regional summit until March, adding that the cabinet would make its final decision on Tuesday.
"This is just my personal comment, but Thailand may have to postpone, but the postponement would not be long - it may be postponed to early March," Sompong said on Thai state-run NBT television station.
"But it depends on the cabinet's decision, because the postponement would not only affect Thailand financially, but more importantly it will affect the country's image."
Philippine President Gloria Arroyo's spokesman meanwhile said that some Southeast Asian governments have asked for the summit to be postponed.
"There are already requests from some countries to reset the ASEAN summit because of this problem," Arroyo's spokesman Jesus Dureza told reporters, quoting the Philippine Embassy in Bangkok.
"Everybody is also just waiting and hoping that the stand off could be resolved as soon as possible, as peaceful as possible," he said.
He didn't say whether the Philippines has asked for a postponement but said that decision was to be left to the foreign department and Arroyo's security officials.
ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
In 2006, the Philippines rescheduled a December summit for the following month after two powerful storms threatened to batter its central region, although some sources said it was linked to security threats.
Click here to go to Dow Jones NewsPlus, a web front page of today's most important business and market news, analysis and commentary:
http:// www.djnewsplus.com/al?rnd=fFWui2UANxLvafhqnQjU%2Bg%3D%3D. You can use this link on the day this article is published and the following day.
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