Thai police step up ASEAN security, fear demonstrations
Thai police step up ASEAN security, fear demonstrations
BANGKOK (Reuters): Thai authorities have boosted security measures ahead of next week's meetings of Southeast Asian foreign ministers for fear domestic protesters may disrupt them.
"Apart from regular security plan, we also have a contingency plan to cope with any irregularities. We are on full alert," police spokesman Pol. Maj. Gen. Chatchawal Suksumjit told Reuters on Saturday.
He said the plans, which include patrols of special branch and border police along with regular officers, aimed to smooth traffic flow and protect delegates from the protests.
The Nation newspaper quoted National Police Commissioner General Pornsak Durongkawiboon as saying he had heard anti-dam protesters and their opponents planned demonstrations.
He said police would have to keep the two sides apart to prevent violence or anything that might hurt the country's image during the week-long series of meetings.
Last Monday, Bangkok police arrested more than 200 people who invaded the grounds around Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai's offices to protest against a dam in northeast Thailand.
Foreign ministers from the 10 members of ASEAN are due to meet on July 24-25 ahead of regional security talks later in the week with Japan, China, South and North Korea, the United States, Russia and the European Union.
The ministers will tackle security issues ranging from Indonesia's bloody ethnic conflicts to Indochina's cross-border trafficking in drugs and people.
The region's wrenching economic crisis of the past few years has exacerbated the problems, a senior Thai official said on Saturday.
"The (foreign) ministers will devote a lot of their time to discuss the security implications of globalization," said Nitya Pibulsonggram, the Thai Foreign Ministry's permanent secretary and chair of the preparatory sessions.
ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
The ASEAN ministers are expected to call for a peaceful resolution of the religious killings in Indonesia's spice islands, Maluku, where thousands are said to have died.
Bangkok's Nation newspaper said senior officials preparing the meeting would urge foreign ministers to consider a statement supporting Indonesian territorial integrity and a peaceful end to the other conflicts convulsing the country.
Nitya said ASEAN foreign ministers would also tackle regional crime, health and environment issues.
Plumes of smoke from forest fires on Indonesia's island of Sumatra have wreathed parts of Malaysia and Thailand in smog over the last few days, prompting fears of a re-run of the widespread health problems and disruption to tourism caused in 1997.
Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman Sulaiman Adbul Manan said his country would support ASEAN talks on the smog problem. Jakarta has admitted it has no strategy to douse the fires.
Earlier this week, Thai Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan said the meeting's priorities also included how to address small arms smuggling.
Despite the region's array of problems, Thailand's plan for a so-called "troika" model to speed the bloc's often sluggish response to crises could run into trouble.
The model is inspired by the European Union's practice of having the current EU president head a three-way, decision-making group to lead the way on ad hoc issues.
However, ASEAN have traditionally stuck to a policy of non- interference in each others' affairs and changing this attitude promises to be a thorny process.
"This mechanism should be implemented only when all parties agree on a situation that needs (it) to be implemented," Nitya said.
Human rights group Amnesty International said rights violations were at the root of regional conflict and instability.
"ASEAN leaders and dialog partners should include human rights protection in any discussion on conflict prevention and resolution," it said in a statement.
"If ASEAN is to seriously address regional security, it must take up the challenge of promoting and protecting the full spectrum of human rights -- economic, social, civil and political," it urged.