Thai FM says unrest will be overcome
US: Thailand will be able to overcome the civil unrest that has
paralyzed and embarrassed the Southeast Asian country, Thai Foreign
Minister Kasit Piromya said on Tuesday.
“I am confident, yes, that we can overcome it,” he said in remarks to
the Asia Society in New York.
But he said a summit of Asian leaders that has been canceled twice
because of the instability will have to wait until the country has
returned to normal.
Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva suffered a huge embarrassment
when anti-government protesters invaded the Thai venue for the East Asia
Summit 10 days ago, forcing its cancellation. Two people died and more
than 100 were injured in the protests.
Bangkok remains under emergency rule as the government tries to
contain political violence that has seen troops clash with protesters
and an assassination attempt on the leader of a royalist pro-government
movement.
Kasit said Bangkok would consult with ambassadors from the other 15
invited nations before deciding when to reschedule the summit of the 10
member nations of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN)
plus China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand.
“Without a political settlement there is no point in having a summit
meeting in Phuket while the streets of Bangkok are still full of the red
shirts and the yellow shirts,” Kasit said, referring to protesters.
“Let’s settle the political thing first and then we can determine the
dates later.
Foreign Ministry officials said earlier on Tuesday the summit may be
held in June on the southern resort island of Phuket, more than 530
miles (860 kms) from the capital.
The political instability has been a concern of foreign investors,
whose confidence was hit by efforts by the previous military-installed
government to tighten the Foreign Business Act to restrict foreign
ownership of local companies.
Kasit said his government would keep the Foreign Business Act “the
way it is” and protect intellectual property rights.
“We will maintain Thailand as an open market economy, friendly to the
international community,” he said.
He also praised the restraint of the security forces, saying, “If
there were to have been one death caused by the security forces Thailand
would have turned into civil war.”
NEW YORK, Reuters
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