ENGLISH DEYEA NEWS

by Than Htike Oo | Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – The ASEAN summit will be held in a resort at Hua Hin, southern Thailand in February.

The Thailand Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva told reporters yesterday at the annual ASEAN meeting that the 14th ASEAN summit will be held in Hau Hin, 150 km from Bangkok, from February 27 to March 1.

The venue of the meeting was changed to avoid possible protest by the 'United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship' (UDD). The Thai PM Abhisit said at the conclusion of the meeting that he changed the venue of the meeting to a remote place to avoid possible protest by demonstrators taking to the streets in Bangkok.

The opposition Pheu Thai urged all ASEAN member states to boycott the planned meeting as the ruling government has no legitimacy. Moreover the Foreign Minister joined the 'People's Alliance for Democracy' which seized the airports in their protest demonstrations, which was unacceptable to the people, they argued.

Thai security agencies expect that the new venue will be secure as Hua Hin is the stronghold of the ruling party.

The venue of the ASEAN summit has been changed four times due to the instability in Thai domestic politics.

Previously this summit was planned to be held in Bangkok at the end of last year but its venue was changed to Chiang Mai in northern Thailand amid protests by the PAD which is opposed to pro-former PM Thaksin Shinawatra 'People's Power Party' (PPP). But this plan had to be scrapped again.

Then Thai Supreme Court gave its verdict on alleged electoral fraud by PPP in favour of the opposition. After that, the leaders of PPP and other smaller parties in the coalition government had to resign from their posts after which, the Democrat Party won the vote in parliament and assumed power.

The newly elected government led by PM Abhisit chose Bangkok again as a more appropriate venue for the ASEAN meeting.

The ASEAN was formed on 8 August 1967 with Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. And then new member States namely Myanmar, Brunei, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos joined the association.