The Phnom Penh Post
Written by Chean Sokha
Wednesday, 03 December 2008
THE 14th annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, scheduled to be held in Chiang Mai from December 13 to 17, has been postponed due to the continuing political crisis in Thailand, Cambodian and Thai officials said Tuesday.
"I have received ... information that the meeting has been delayed," Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith said, but could not comment on when the summit would take place.
Thai government spokesman Nattawut Saikaur said the summit had been postponed until March.
Koy Kuong, undersecretary of state at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Cambodia would await developments in Thailand to see whether it could guarantee the security of leaders from the 10 Asean member states.
"If the two main airports in Thailand are reopening and are operating as normal, it means the situation is calm and Thailand could host the meeting," he said.
"But if not, the situation will continue to worsen," he added.
The Asean charter, which commits the bloc's 10 nations to promote democracy and human rights, and was due to be signed at the summit, will now be adopted in Indonesia.
"The Cabinet agreed to the Foreign Ministry's proposal to declare the Asean charter in Jakarta, and the Ministry will write a letter to inform group members," Nattawut said.
News of the delay came shortly after Thailand's Constitutional Court dissolved the country's ruling party and barred Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat from politics for five years.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY AFP
Written by Chean Sokha
Wednesday, 03 December 2008
THE 14th annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, scheduled to be held in Chiang Mai from December 13 to 17, has been postponed due to the continuing political crisis in Thailand, Cambodian and Thai officials said Tuesday.
"I have received ... information that the meeting has been delayed," Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith said, but could not comment on when the summit would take place.
Thai government spokesman Nattawut Saikaur said the summit had been postponed until March.
Koy Kuong, undersecretary of state at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Cambodia would await developments in Thailand to see whether it could guarantee the security of leaders from the 10 Asean member states.
"If the two main airports in Thailand are reopening and are operating as normal, it means the situation is calm and Thailand could host the meeting," he said.
"But if not, the situation will continue to worsen," he added.
The Asean charter, which commits the bloc's 10 nations to promote democracy and human rights, and was due to be signed at the summit, will now be adopted in Indonesia.
"The Cabinet agreed to the Foreign Ministry's proposal to declare the Asean charter in Jakarta, and the Ministry will write a letter to inform group members," Nattawut said.
News of the delay came shortly after Thailand's Constitutional Court dissolved the country's ruling party and barred Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat from politics for five years.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY AFP
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