ASEAN SEC-GEN APPEALS FOR PEACEFUL END TO THAI PROTESTS

BY MOHD NASIR YUSOFF

JAKARTA, April 14 (Bernama) -- ASEAN Secretary-General Dr Surin Pitsuwan has called for a peaceful end to protests by the 'red shirts' in Thailand at the earliest time possible as the chaos had resulted in the postponement of the 14th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Pataya scheduled for April 10 to 12.

Surin, himself a Thai national, said the postponement of the Summits came at
a time when the world was looking toward ASEAN and East Asia to contribute to
solutions for the ongoing financial and economic crisis.

"The leaders were expected to discuss plans to cope with the crisis
following the G20 Summit in London on April 2-3," he said.

Appealing for a peaceful end to the protests, he said: "It is for the
interest of all the 570 million people in ASEAN that leaders of ASEAN and East
Asia are able to come together to discuss and synergise efforts to cope with the
many challenges that the world is grappling with now."

"Many people are affected by these challenges, and it is imperative that we
do not let those efforts be derailed at the expense of the people. I will like
to appeal for a peaceful end to the protests at the earliest time possible," he
said in a statement here.

Describing the Saturday chaos, The Bangkok Post, in its front-page headlined
'SHATTERED', said it was a truly shameful day for the country, which had its
international image destroyed by the siege of the Asean+6 summit venue and the
embarassing postponement of the forum.

Surin, who had been working hard to ensure the events' success, said leaders
from ASEAN, China, Japan and South Korea would have convened in Pattaya and
discussed ways and joint responses to boost the regional economies.

They too would have as well encouraged the early conclusion of the Chiang
Mai Initiative Multilaterisation (CMIM) by their finance ministers, which has
been enlarged to USD 120 billion following the 13th ASEAN Finance Ministers'
Meeting in Pattaya.

"The postponement also delayed the signing of the ASEAN-China Investment
Agreement as well as discussion on other pressing issues that the world is
facing now such as food and energy security and disaster management," he added.

Earlier in February, in his written response to BERNAMA's question on how
the then political situations in Thailand would impact ASEAN, he said the then
14th ASEAN Summit was rescheduled and held on Feb 27 to March 1 in Hua Hin.

"Because of the political situation last year, Thailand was not able to
sign and ratify some international agreements related to ASEAN. With the new
(Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's) government now in place, the process to
sign and ratify these agreements has begun in time for the ASEAN summit," he
said then.

On how events in Thailand, that affected its ASEAN neighbours, could be
contained in the ASEAN spirit, Surin, a former Thai foreign minister said: "We
need to remind ourselves that not only are we citizens of our own country, we're
also citizens of ASEAN, in which we live side by side and the problems of one
country can affect another country."

"We need to acknowledge this and work harmoniously to resolve the problems
together," he added.

To another question on Thailand's immediate future, Surin said then, that
personally he thought Thailand had a lot to offer.

"Tourism alone can take Thailand very far, not to mention other resources it
has. I see a bright future for Thailand - and for the rest of the ASEAN Member
States," he said.

The Thai government on Sunday declared a state of emergency in the capital,
Bangkok, and five nearby provinces in an effort to curb the anti-government
demonstrations.
-- BERNAMA