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» 01.07.09 Asean meetings in Phuket: Security Act to be enforced |
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01.07.09 Asean meetings in Phuket: Security Act to be enforced
Source: Phuketgazette
Minister
of Defense Gen Prawit Wongsuwan is greeted by Sheraton Grande Laguna
Phuket Manager Lyndon Ellis at the resort yesterday. Photo by Sheraton
Laguna.
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PHUKET
CITY: Thailand will enforce its Internal Security Act in Phuket during
the upcoming 42nd Asean Ministerial Meeting and related activities to
be held at Laguna Phuket July 17 to 23.
Defence Minister Gen
Prawit Wongsuwan, who met with other top military brass and local
leaders at Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket yesterday, said today that all
preparations for the event were fully completed.
Joint military
and police units have been directed to work in teams and local
residents will assist officials to provide security at the meeting
venues, the state-run Thai News Agency quoted him as saying this
afternoon.
Gen Prawit said the enforcement of the Internal
Security Act, to be effective over the entire meeting period, will help
prevent any untoward incident.
The government is desperate to
prevent any possible recurrence of the incident in Pattaya over the
Songkran holiday, when the Asean summit meetings had to be postponed at
the last minute after red-shirted protesters loyal to deposed former
prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra stormed the host venue.
Gen
Prawit Wongsuwan said he believed the situation is not worrying,
although red-shirt protesters earlier vowed a mass protest if the
government didn’t dissolve the House within one month – and the
deadline is nearly concurrent with the Asean meeting.
The
Internal Security Act will be enforced only on Phuket and will not
violate human rights or inconvenience the public, Gen Prawit said.
Phuket
Governor Wichai Praisa-ngop, who attended the meeting at Laguna
yesterday, said the event will bring in ministers from 21 countries.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is expected to be among the many high-profile figures attending.
The
influx of 2,000 members of ministerial entourages and journalists will
help revive local tourism and if the regional meetings are successful,
the government will confirm Phuket as the venue for the re-scheduled
Asean summit in October, Gov Wichai said.
Also attending
yesterday’s meeting were Defense Ministry Permanent Secretary Gen
Apichart Phenkitti, Army Supreme Commander Supreme Gen Songkitti
Jaggabatara, Army Commander-in-Chief Gen Anupong Paochinda, Navy
Commander-in-Chief Admiral Kamthorn Pumhirun, Air Force
Commander-in-Chief ACM Itthaporn Subhawong and Army Chief of Staff Gen
Prayut Chanocha.
For a full schedule of the events, including post ministerial conferences and the 16th Asean Regional Forum (ARF), click here
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