INTERVIEW-Regional meeting won't be disrupted - Thai minister
By Kittipong Soonprasert and Pracha Hariraksapitak
BANGKOK, July 10 (Reuters) - Thailand will deploy almost 10,000 security personnel to the tourist island of Phuket to keep protesters away from a high-level regional meeting later this month, the country's defence minister said on Friday.
Prawit Wongsuwan, a retired army general, said all rallies were banned from Friday until July 24 to prevent a repeat of April's East Asia Summit, which was cancelled after protesters poured into the meeting venue in Pattaya, east of Bangkok.
U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton will be among those attending the July 17-23 meetings, along with counterparts from the European Union, China, Japan, Australia, Russia, New Zealand, India, South Korea, Canada and the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
"I will do whatever it takes to stop these demonstrations from happening," Prawit Wongsuwan told Reuters in an interview. "This is for the country and all Thais."
The cancellation of the summit in Pattaya caused huge embarrassment to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, whose country holds the rotating chair of ASEAN.
Prawit admitted the government had underestimated the determination of the protesters, who broke through multiple police, army and navy lines before invading the summit venue and prompting the evacuation of leaders by helicopter.
Prawit gave his assurances that it would not happen again.
MEETING WRECKED
"At that time we did not think thoroughly," he said. "We just wanted to control the crowd. It was clear that once the demonstration occurred, it had wrecked the meeting. That is why I want no protests this time."
The government plans to set up checkpoints across the popular holiday island, 860 km (530 miles) south of Bangkok, to prevent suspected protesters sneaking in early.
Prawit said police would conduct regular searches in hotels and guesthouses to flush out those planning to disrupt the meetings, but assured tourists they would not be affected by the tight security measures.
"Visitors with a transparent agenda to visit the island have no need to be worried. We believe our work will not harm tourism."
Phuket is a stronghold of Abhisit's Democrat Party, which heads a coalition government struggling to revive an economy hobbled by the global economic downturn and prolonged political strife at home.
Following the cancellation of the summit in Pattaya, Abhisit was forced to impose emergency rule in Bangkok for 12 days to quell street protests by red-shirted supporters of exiled former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup.
After a period of calm, more than 20,000 "red shirts" rallied in Bangkok on June 27 to call for a general election, but the demonstration passed peacefully. [ID:nLR248954]
The leaders of the "red shirts", also known as the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship, say they have no intention of trying to disrupt the Phuket meetings.
Analysts say any unrest could dent the image of the Puea Thai party, the parliamentary arm of the pro-Thaksin movement, which is expected to mount a serious challenge to Abhisit's government in the next election, which is expected early next year. (Editing by Martin Petty and Jeremy Laurence)
BANGKOK, July 10 (Reuters) - Thailand will deploy almost 10,000 security personnel to the tourist island of Phuket to keep protesters away from a high-level regional meeting later this month, the country's defence minister said on Friday.
Prawit Wongsuwan, a retired army general, said all rallies were banned from Friday until July 24 to prevent a repeat of April's East Asia Summit, which was cancelled after protesters poured into the meeting venue in Pattaya, east of Bangkok.
U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton will be among those attending the July 17-23 meetings, along with counterparts from the European Union, China, Japan, Australia, Russia, New Zealand, India, South Korea, Canada and the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
"I will do whatever it takes to stop these demonstrations from happening," Prawit Wongsuwan told Reuters in an interview. "This is for the country and all Thais."
The cancellation of the summit in Pattaya caused huge embarrassment to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, whose country holds the rotating chair of ASEAN.
Prawit admitted the government had underestimated the determination of the protesters, who broke through multiple police, army and navy lines before invading the summit venue and prompting the evacuation of leaders by helicopter.
Prawit gave his assurances that it would not happen again.
MEETING WRECKED
"At that time we did not think thoroughly," he said. "We just wanted to control the crowd. It was clear that once the demonstration occurred, it had wrecked the meeting. That is why I want no protests this time."
The government plans to set up checkpoints across the popular holiday island, 860 km (530 miles) south of Bangkok, to prevent suspected protesters sneaking in early.
Prawit said police would conduct regular searches in hotels and guesthouses to flush out those planning to disrupt the meetings, but assured tourists they would not be affected by the tight security measures.
"Visitors with a transparent agenda to visit the island have no need to be worried. We believe our work will not harm tourism."
Phuket is a stronghold of Abhisit's Democrat Party, which heads a coalition government struggling to revive an economy hobbled by the global economic downturn and prolonged political strife at home.
Following the cancellation of the summit in Pattaya, Abhisit was forced to impose emergency rule in Bangkok for 12 days to quell street protests by red-shirted supporters of exiled former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup.
After a period of calm, more than 20,000 "red shirts" rallied in Bangkok on June 27 to call for a general election, but the demonstration passed peacefully. [ID:nLR248954]
The leaders of the "red shirts", also known as the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship, say they have no intention of trying to disrupt the Phuket meetings.
Analysts say any unrest could dent the image of the Puea Thai party, the parliamentary arm of the pro-Thaksin movement, which is expected to mount a serious challenge to Abhisit's government in the next election, which is expected early next year. (Editing by Martin Petty and Jeremy Laurence)
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