Bangkok May Host Asean Summit, Says Abhisit

Bernama, March 03, 2009 13:08 PM 

By D. Arul Rajoo BANGKOK, March 3 (Bernama) -- The delayed Asean+3 and +6 meetings maybe held in Bangkok after last week's 14th Asean Summit was held in Hua Hin, about 230km from the capital. 

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva told the local media that the matter would be discussed at the weekly Cabinet Tuesday. 

Immediately after the end of the Summit in Hua Hin two days ago, there had been various speculation on the venue for the Asean+3 and Asean+6 Summits, with Koh Samui, Phuket and even Hua Hin being touted as the possible host. 

The +3 members are China, Japan and South Korea, while the +6 are the +3 nations plus Australia, India and New Zealand. 

Bangkok was originally supposed to hold the 14th Summit and related meetings with the dialogue partners last December but months of anti-government street protests here forced it to be shifted to Chiang Mai. 

But the collapse of the Somchai Wongsawat's government and the airport closure by anti-government supporters again forced the event to be postponed. 

Abhisit, who came into power in mid-December, then picked Hua Hin to avoid confrontation with ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's supporters, but the +3 and +6 meetings were not included as Chinese leaders were busy with their domestic programmes. 

The Hua Hin meeting went on smoothly without any major protest with talks on current financial crisis, Asean Economic Community and the proposed human rights body, but the Government is still wary of holding the coming Summit in the capital due to the fear that the red shirt supporters of Thaksin could distrupt the event. 

Under the newly enforced Asean Charter, the grouping must hold two Summits annually, and the 15th Summit is expected to be held in October. 

-- BERNAMA