NEWS Think
ACHARA ASHAYAGACHAT
Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat should postpone the 14th Asean summit, so that regional leaders are not held hostage by local events.
When the prime minister told his Asean counterparts on the sidelines of the 7th Asem summit in Beijing a month ago that the venue of the Asean summit would be moved from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, the government's stronghold, they were astounded by the short notice, but complied.
Chiang Mai is now the headquarters of the embattled premier as he tries to dislodge the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) from Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports.
Our neighbours are worried they could be held hostage to the situation should it get any worse.
Thailand should make a decision quickly on whether it can still host the Asean meeting.
We need time to prepare all declarations and agreements to pass through the legislature.
Fifteen heads of state and governments and the chiefs of international financial institutions such as the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the World Trade Organisation, the United Nations, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, and the International Monetary Fund are committed to coming to the summit and to join the Asean Global Dialogue.
We should reciprocate their goodwill by giving a decisive and clear message as to when peace and order will return.
The Malaysian and Singaporean leaders have already shown reluctance to attend the summit.
India's leader is busy with his own problems at home. Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam have also opened the door for us to put off the summit.
Prev
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
Next
