Thailand avoids chaos but solution to take time: ASEAN
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HONG KONG (Reuters) -Thailand's court ruling to dismiss Premier Somchai Wongsawat had prevented a slide into chaos but there is no quick solution to the political turmoil, the head of ASEAN said on Wednesday.
"At least it has put a stop to the slide into chaos, even more chaos," Surin Pitsuwan, head of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), told Reuters in an interview. He was referring to a court ruling on Tuesday to dismiss the government of Somchai, whom anti-government protesters accuse of being a puppet of his brother-in-law Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup.
"Right now the situation is quite fragile, but definitely the situation is in the process of a more stable, more acceptable and more legitimate government. It will take some time to find a balance."
ASEAN on Tuesday postponed its summit scheduled for December 13-17 in Thailand until March because of the conflict in Thailand but Surin said the meeting could take place before March, not necessarily in Thailand.
(Reporting by Susan Fenton and Deborah Kan)
(Editing by Nick Macfie)
