Thailand moves regional summit to beach town [Hua Hin]

BANGKOK, Jan 7 (Reuters) - Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Wednesday he had decided to move the venue of a regional summit to a resort town 200 km from the capital to avoid disruption by anti-government protesters.

Abhisit told reporters the former fishing village of Hua Hin, 125 miles southwest of Bangkok, was the best venue to host the summit of the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) from Feb. 27 to March 1.

"It has the best environment that should provide a smooth summit," he said. The beachside town is also the habitual home of King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Abhisit acknowledged that threatened street protests were behind the decision to switch the venue from Bangkok.

Thailand holds the rotating chair of ASEAN and the summit had been planned for December, but protests against the previous government caused it to be postponed.

The new dates do not fit the schedule of ASEAN's regional "dialogue partners" -- namely China, Korea, Japan, India, Australia and New Zealand -- so a second, separate meeting would be held in late April to accommodate them, Abhisit said.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

(Reporting by Chalathip Thirasoonthrakul; Writing by Nopporn Wong-Anan; Editing by Ed Cropley)

Hun Sen's people power nightmare?

Ukraine's Viktor Yanukovych (Top Left) and Viktor Yuschenko (Top Right)
Cambodia's Hun Sen (Bottom Left) and Sam Rainsy (Bottom Right)

Democracy a double edge sword

01 May 2008
Editorial by Pen Bona
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from French by Luc Sâr

Democracy is a double edge sword. This saying is particularly true in Cambodia. On 13 April, the first day of the Cambodian New Year, and 22 April, Hun Sen warned his opponents against descending on the streets (to demonstrate). Hun Sen affirmed that using such method to topple him will be severely repressed and the initiators will be condemned by the justice. Hun Sen’s words, three months away from the general election, were not pronounced without premeditation. Usually, at the announcement of the ballot results, tension rises. Notably, in 1998, a vast movement led by the opposition was harsh. The goal was to chase Hun Sen out of power, in spite of election victory.

This year, according to Hun Sen, such attempt will be used again, because “toppling Hun Sen by the election is now impossible,” Hun Sen claimed. According to Hun Sen, in order to achieve their goals, his opponents would attempt to use an ultimate maneuver: inciting a general protest in the streets. Such gathering is illegal, Hun Sen claimed. This type of movement reached its goal in Ukraine, where the “Orange Revolution” finally removed Viktor Yanukovych from power, in favor of Viktor Yuschenko, the opposition leader. An example that Hun Sen would not like to see happened in Cambodia. Hun Sen’s message is thus clear: according to him, a true democracy is justified by the election means and not by street protests.

Sam Rainsy does not share such opinion, the SRP leader believes that, to the contrary, street protests can ease an election process that is not “credible.” The opposition leader did not clearly mention that he wants to topple his main opponent by using the “people power,” but he didn’t deny taking such action either.

Of course, wrestling power by force is not new in Cambodia. Election defeat is rarely accepted, and the sharp protests following the last three general elections prove that. The amendment to the Constitution which eliminates the 2/3 majority in favor of the simple majority could appease the demands. Nevertheless, the protest against the election results could not be excluded. Ballot or street protests? Can violence be avoided? In the absence of the above, who will bear the largest share of responsibility?