Tight Security in Phuket for ASEAN Meeting
Thailand has drafted in 10,000 troops to the island of Phuket to ensure there is no repeat of the scenes that were witnessed in Pattaya in April. Three months ago, the scheduled meeting of ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) was abandoned amid chaotic scenes in Pattaya when red-shirted anti-government protesters forced their way past security forces and gained access to the venue for the meeting. The fiasco caused severe embarrassment for Thai prime minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva and raised questions about the role of Thai security forces and the suitability of Thailand to host such an important meeting.
The ASEAN leaders will tackle a number of issues affecting the region including economic problems and security issues. With the recent bombings in Indonesia, a regional security meeting to be held on Thursday will have added significance. That meeting will also be attended by United States Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton as well as officials from the European Union and Russia.
The anti-government red shirts have already said they will not disrupt the ASEAN summit which is being held this week on Thailand’s largest island and most popular tourist destination. The impact of internal political problems and a worldwide economic downturn has been a double-whammy for the Thai economy. Prime minister Abhisit remains under pressure, but insists his ‘Strong Thailand’ impetus package will help to improve the economy. He has also confirmed he will visit Chiang Mai in the near future to promote the package and meet with local people. The announcement follows the red shirt protests in Chiang Mai last week which greeted the arrival of the Thai finance minister, Korn Chatikavanji. Korn was attending a meeting at Chiang Mai University to discuss the stimulus package with officials from Thailand’s banks. The northern city of Chiang Mai is the home town of former leader Thaksin Shinawatra and the city and province remain a stronghold of the red shirts who broadly support Thaksin and oppose the present government.
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