By Pei Hu
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia
BANGKOK, Thailand – On April 11th 2009, the anti-government protesters have effectively blocked leaders from meeting at the Association of South East Nations (ASEAN) summit at the seaside resort of Pattaya. The Thai government has declared a state of emergency after the 10-nation ASEAN summit was abruptly canceled.
Leaders from Australia, China, Japan, India, South Korea, and New Zealand were supposed to attend the meeting. However, despite increased security forces placed by the Thai government due to widespread demonstrations in Bangkok, protesters breached security forces by breaking through glass doors.
Moments before the protesters breached security, Panitan Wattanayagorn said he was confident that the meeting would proceed, “The ASEAN summit was slightly delayed this morning due to certain safety reasons in certain locations. Not in the hotel, not in the meeting places but in the surrounding areas far away from the meeting places… Although at the meeting places there are some demonstrations but the authorities and the agencies in-charge are able to put the situation under control.”
Thailand is the current leader of the ASEAN regional economic bloc and the cancellation of the ASEAN summit was an embarrassment for the new Prime Minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva. Last December, a similar summit was also postponed due to Thailand’s political turmoil.
Last year the protesters occupied government buildings and closed down major airports, putting an effective block to the country’s tourism industry. The new government has been informing to the public and the international community that the country’s political uncertainty was a thing of the past.
Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary General, who was scheduled to attend the meeting, said in a statement he regretted the postponement of the ASEAN summit but hoped for a return to normalcy and to settle the differences through peaceful means.
The summit was to discuss the region’s economic concerns including trade, food and security. Regional leaders were also expected to sign an ASEAN investment pact with China and discuss security on the Korean Peninsula.
For more information, please see:
BBC – Thai protests cancel Asian summit– 11 April 2009
Reuters – Asian summit effectively cancelled – 11 April 2009
VOA – Protests Force Thailand to Cancel ASEAN Summit – 11 April 2009
