Wednesday, 13 May 2009

Thai deputy PM: Thailand fully ready to host ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in mid-June

Philstar
May 12, 2009

BANGKOK (Xinhua) - Thailand is fully ready to host the ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in mid-June, however, the timing for the Summits has not been finalized yet, said Suthep Thaugsuban, Thai Deputy Prime Minister in charge of security affairs said today.

Suthep also said that the ASEAN and dialogue partner countries can have their own armed men to protect their leaders during the ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Thailand, but the matter must be managed under an agreement,

Meanwhile, Suthep said that the Thai government would enforce the Internal Security Law to ensure security during the ASEAN Summit and Related Summits.

The Internal Security Law, issued by the military-backed National Legislative Assembly in 2007, empowers the prime minister to turn to the military to maintain order. Moreover, the government does not need to make an announcement prior to enforcing it.

The Law would ensure that chaos occurred during the ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Pattaya earlier in April would not be repeated, said the Thai Deputy Prime Minister.

The 14th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits were initially scheduled to be held on April 10-12 in a hotel in Thai resort town of Pattaya, however the summit was canceled on April 11 due to Thai anti-government "red-shirt" protestors stormed into the venue.

This year Thailand is the rotating chairman of the ASEAN, which consists of Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Philippines,Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

ASEAN's dialogue partners are China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, and New Zealand.

Thailand's government has proposed to the other ASEAN leaders and dialogue partner leaders to host the ASEAN Summits during June 13-14 in Thailand's southern province of Phuket.

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