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ASEAN-China Summit postponed due to 'red shirt' protest: Thai spokesman

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-04-11 11:25

PATTAYA, Thailand -- A scheduled 12th ASEAN- China Summit was postponed on Saturday as anti-government "red shirt" blocked all main roads in Pattaya, Thailand's acting government spokesman Panitan Wattanayakorn said.

Anti-government protesters confront policemen outside the place where foreign delegations attending the ASEAN related summits are stationed, in Pattaya, Thailand, April 11, 2009. A scheduled 12th ASEAN-China Summit was not held as scheduled at 9:00 am on Saturday due to anti-government "red shirt" blocked all main roads in Pattaya. [Xinhua]

The spokesman said the leaders have reconfirmed their commitment to the meetings and they expressed their wish that the Thai government would resolve the situation and expect the meeting could be resumed as soon as possible.

"We don't want the incident to happen. But there are a lot of protestors, and we are concerned about the safety of the leaders and the delegates. We are working hard to make sure everyone is safe," said Panitan.

Tharit Charungvat, director-general of Department of Information under the Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told reporters that the delegates are safe now. "I can assure you that the delegates are not the target. The protestor s just want to humiliate the Thai government" said Tharit.

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The spokesman said that there were small clashes far away from the hotels of the delegates, and so far, there are two to three people being slightly injured. And the injured have been sent to hospitals for medical treatment.

Anti-government protestors in Thailand who had previously blocked a hotel of Chinese and South Korean delegates attending the summit between the ASEAN and China, Japan and South Korea and the East Asia Summit seemed to have retreated.

Several police cars and fire engines remained at the Dusit Thani hotel in the beach resort of Pattaya, where a series of summit meetings are scheduled for the weekend.

Xinhua reporters at the scene said that traffic in front of the hotel has been resumed.

Anti-government demonstrators arrive at the front gate of the Royal Cliff Beach Resort Hotel, the venue of the 14th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits, in Pattaya, Thailand, April 11, 2009. A scheduled 12th ASEAN-China Summit was postponed on Saturday due to anti-government "red shirt" blocked all main roads in Pattaya, Thailand's acting government spokesman Panitan Wattanayakorn said. [Xinhua]

A breakfast meeting between foreign ministers of China, Japan and South Korea has been canceled because all roads leading to the Dusit Thani hotel where the Chinese delegation stayed in were blocked by Thailand's "red-shirt" protestors.

However, the Chinese Embassy spokesman Wang Ya told Xinhua that foreign ministers from China and South Korea had a brief talk since the two delegations were staying in the same hotel.

The Chinese delegation said that so far the Thai government has not announced a decision to cancel the ASEAN-China summit. The Thai government said it is considering to offer other communication vehicles, like boat or helicopter to take all delegations to the Royal Cliff Beach Hotel, the venue of the 14th ASEAN and Related Summits.

Red-shirted protesters armed with giant firecrackers, Molotov cocktails, sling shots and batons, battled with local people who formed a line to protect the venue of the ASEAN summit and Related Summits venue here Saturday morning.The outnumbered blue-shirted local people was scattered and ran for cover when the red-shirted people attacked them.

Several explosion sounds of firecrackers were heard and the red- shirted people were seen as firing slingshots with bolts at the blue-shirted people who tried formed a line in front of the Royal Cliff Beach Resort Hotel.

The red-shirted people formed a line and kept advancing until the two sides stood confronting less than one meter apart and the clash broke out. The red-shirted protesters were seen carrying Molotov cocktails but none had been thrown at the other side yet.

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