RP welcomes Asean summit postponement

The Philippines yesterday hailed Thailand’s decision to push back by three months the next Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit, which Bangkok had earlier pledged to host this month before it was plunged into political turmoil.

Thailand said on Tuesday it was delaying the meeting until March due to its ongoing turmoil, which saw protesters occupy both of the capital’s airports until yesterday.

“A postponement would be favorable given the present circumstances,” deputy presidential spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo told reporters.

“It will give Thailand more time to resolve its political crisis and give the members more time to prepare,” she added.

The Thai announcement has so far drawn mixed public reactions from ASEAN, which groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Cambodia said yesterday it regretted that the meeting of ASEAN leaders could not be held this month as previously scheduled.

But Fajardo insisted that “the members and officials agree that a postponement will not affect ASEAN work plans negatively.”

She said the “safety of participants must also be ensured.”

Thailand’s constitutional court on Tuesday disbanded the ruling party and banned Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat from politics for five years in a vote fraud case.

Malaysia earlier yesterday raised doubts over whether Thailand would be able to host the ASEAN summit at all.

Singapore urged that it be held earlier than March, preferably in January, and said that consideration should be given to staging the summit at the Jakarta-based ASEAN secretariat. – Pia Lee-Brago