ID :
54931
Sun, 04/12/2009 - 00:42
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/54931
The shortlink copeid
Korea-ASEAN summit marred by anti-government protests
PATTAYA, Thailand, April 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak was delayed outside the venue of his scheduled summit with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Saturday due to anti-government protests here while summit organizers were scrambling to find a way around the protesters to get him to the meeting, South Korean officials said.
The organizers were forced to call off an ASEAN-China summit due to hundreds of
people blocking all entrances to the main venue of the ASEAN summit to protest
against Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.
"The organizers are still trying to find a way for us to reach the venue," an
official accompanying the South Korean president said.
Officials said Lee was also delayed at his hotel earlier Saturday due to
"hundreds of red-shirt and blue-shirt protesters." Red shirts are worn as an
expression of support for former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatraa, who has
been in exile following his 2008 conviction on corruption charges, while blue
shirts represent supporters of the incumbent Thai government.
Thai authorities earlier offered a boat for the president to get to the hotel's
adjoined beach, but Seoul rejected the idea, citing safety concerns, officials
said.
"It appears it will be difficult to move ahead with the Korea-ASEAN summit, as
there are no other options," Kim Eun-hye, a spokeswoman for the South Korean
presidential office, told reporters.
The apparent cancellation of ASEAN's bilateral summits with Korea and China also
threw off the schedule for a 13-way summit of all 10 members of ASEAN and Korea,
Japan and China, which was scheduled to start 2:30 p.m. (local time).
"Foreign ministers of Korea, Japan and China will meet at a different venue
within a few hours to discuss whether they should stay or not," an official said.
Lee and prime ministers of Japan and China were also scheduled to take part
Sunday in a separate regional forum known as the ASEAN Plus Six Summit, also
known as the East Asia Summit, which also includes India, Australia and New
Zealand.
Lee arrived here Friday and is scheduled to leave for home on Sunday.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)
The organizers were forced to call off an ASEAN-China summit due to hundreds of
people blocking all entrances to the main venue of the ASEAN summit to protest
against Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.
"The organizers are still trying to find a way for us to reach the venue," an
official accompanying the South Korean president said.
Officials said Lee was also delayed at his hotel earlier Saturday due to
"hundreds of red-shirt and blue-shirt protesters." Red shirts are worn as an
expression of support for former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatraa, who has
been in exile following his 2008 conviction on corruption charges, while blue
shirts represent supporters of the incumbent Thai government.
Thai authorities earlier offered a boat for the president to get to the hotel's
adjoined beach, but Seoul rejected the idea, citing safety concerns, officials
said.
"It appears it will be difficult to move ahead with the Korea-ASEAN summit, as
there are no other options," Kim Eun-hye, a spokeswoman for the South Korean
presidential office, told reporters.
The apparent cancellation of ASEAN's bilateral summits with Korea and China also
threw off the schedule for a 13-way summit of all 10 members of ASEAN and Korea,
Japan and China, which was scheduled to start 2:30 p.m. (local time).
"Foreign ministers of Korea, Japan and China will meet at a different venue
within a few hours to discuss whether they should stay or not," an official said.
Lee and prime ministers of Japan and China were also scheduled to take part
Sunday in a separate regional forum known as the ASEAN Plus Six Summit, also
known as the East Asia Summit, which also includes India, Australia and New
Zealand.
Lee arrived here Friday and is scheduled to leave for home on Sunday.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)
