Asean Summit
Cebu Island in the Philippines is the venue for the next Summit and security is high
Jan 5, 2007
Five thousand soldiers and Seven thousand policemen will be on duty on Cebu Island in the Phillippines, during the January 10th-15th Asean Summit Meeting, to provide security for the presidents and prime ministers from Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea, plus leaders from Asean (the 10-member Association of S.E. Asian Nations) which comprises Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, The Phillippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Leaders from all 16 Asian nations have pledged to attend theSummit which had to be rescheduled from December 2006, due to an threatened typhoon (and the hint of terrorist attacks). A military spokesman promises that the police, the armed forces and the Anti-Terrorism Task Force are ready and prepared to counter any threat.
===========================================================================
The army chief in Bangkok has issued a statement to the effect that the New Year bombs that killed three people in the Thai capital were part of a concerted bid to undermine the post-coup government. Rumours of troop movements around Bangkok seem to be just that, rumours, and a government spokesman has denied any plots to unseat the post-coup Council for National Security (CNS). One theory being touted is that the CNS was endeavouring to boost its prestige by stating a self-coup. Army-installed P.M. Surayud Chulanont has told the public that he cannot rule out the possibility of more bombings. Until now the people wanted the Generals to resign after the promised election, but a recent poll suggested that approximately half of Bangkok residents want the army-backed government to stay (only 60% wanted them last month.)
The King has yet to lift martial law in Bangkok and other parts of the country.
The United States, Britain and Australia have told their citizens to be careful moving around Bangkok.
