Thailand set has date for the Asean summit on June 13-14 in Phuket, diplomats were told by Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban on Monday. The ASEAN member countries and invited partners from Asia has still to confirm their attendance.
Suthep together with Defense Minister Pravit Wongsuwan and Foreign Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Virasakdi Futrakul briefed diplomats from the Asean countries and dialogue partners on the summit preparation on Monday.
The Asian Summit will tentatively be held in Phuket between June 13 and 14," Suthep said.
Security measures will be improved to prevent a repeat of the previous incident,” Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban told reporters on Monday. “We will prohibit any gathering or protest in a 5-kilometer (3-mile) radius of the meeting site.”
Suthep declined to commit whether the safety arrangement would meet international standard but said that local residents in Phuket would not hold any protest against the summit.
Suthep declined to comment in details on the security matter and whether they would meet international standard. He said after a visit to Phuket last Saturday that local residents in Phuket would not hold any protest against the summit.
The protest, if any, would be kept at least five kilometers away from the meeting place as suggested by some Asean partners, he said at today’s press briefing.The military is expected to provide security, while local police forces will handle traffic arrangements.
Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Sunday ASEAN leaders have set conditions that they would join the resumed 14th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits if the Thai government banned protesters from coming near the meeting venue within the radius of 5 kilometers.
Abhisit said the security forces were reviewing safety and security measures and they would bring concrete measures within next week.
"We will declare the meeting venue off-limit to gathering and for that we have to see which venue we can resort to in order to implement the measures," he said.
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