Thailand Put Maximum Security For ASEAN Summit

Hua Hin,Thai government exert maximum efforts to secure the head of state who attended the Southeast Asia Summit (Summit) to the 15th ASEAN in Hua Hin, Thailand, on 23-25 October 2009.

Defense and Military Attache Indonesia in Thailand, Colonel Bambang Hartawan in Hua Hin, Thailand, Friday, assess the readiness of Thailand utmost to ensure the smooth running of the 15th Summit of ASEAN.

"They do not want to repeat such events in Pattaya," said Bambang.

The 15th Summit of ASEAN should be held on 11-12 April 2009 in Pattaya, but finally postponed to 23-25 October 2009 in Hua Hin because it was the demonstrators occupied the place and managed to disperse the summit.

At that time, several leaders of ASEAN countries such as Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo should be evacuated from the venue by helicopter.

The Company President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono who had landed in Thailand when it was finally canceled the visit and immediately returned to Indonesia.

Bambang explained to avoid security problems at the 15th Summit of ASEAN, the Thai side to concentrate all direct coordination under military control.

Thai government formed a special task force under the control of Secretary of Defense to reduce more than 18 thousand security personnel which is a combination of police forces, army, air force and navy.

To secure the leadership of the ASEAN countries, the Thai side also has devoted a maximum security around the location of the hotel where heads of state stay / governments of member countries of ASEAN.

Around the Hotel Grand Pacific where President Yudhoyono will stay, has deployed around 100 policemen for security in the building and about 300 army personnel are on guard outside the hotel.

Every vehicle that crossed the hotel where the delegation stayed through Indonesia that have a checkpoint, while the hotel every visitor must go through rigorous examination.

Hua Hin Area, a distance of three-hour overland journey from Bangkok deliberately chosen by the Thai government for the location of the summit organizing the 15th ASEAN security reasons.

In the coastal town of Phetchaburi province south of Bangkok is far from the hustle and is a resting area for the King and Queen of Thailand to spend their old age.

"People are very respected Thai royal family, so that the protesters were reluctant to rally in Hua Hin. Politically, this area includes the area safe," said Bambang.

Thai political conditions that tend to dynamic and unpredictable, he added, making the Thai government may be preparing a security sedetil organizing the 15th Summit of ASEAN to the events in Pattaya no longer happen.

Summit of the 15 ASEAN began on Friday morning October 23, 2009 with the opening ceremony which was attended by leaders of ASEAN countries.

According to information, the new President Yudhoyono arrived in Thailand on Saturday (24/10) to attend the 15th Summit of ASEAN.

President Yudhoyono postponed due to the departure to Thailand on Friday (23/10) held the first plenary cabinet session to give direction to all the new ministers will serve in the United Indonesia Cabinet II.

Summit of the 15 ASEAN in Hua Hin will be accompanied also by a meeting of heads of state / government of ASEAN countries with their counterparts in East Asia, namely China, Japan, South Korea, and India, and the two countries in the Pacific region, namely Australia and New Zealand new.