PHILIPPINES: ASEAN leaders arrive in Cebu while ministerial level talks kick off, protestors rally amidst tight security

Leaders of Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) continued to arrive in Cebu on Friday (January 12), ahead of the summit meetings scheduled for the weekend. Indonesian President Susilio Bambang Yudhoyono arrived on Friday morning, while one of the first to arrive were Myanmar Prime Minister Soe Win on Thursday (January 11) evening. Ministerial meetings between Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam also kicked off on Friday. Meanwhile, security forces patrolled the central Philippines city of Cebu on Friday while protestors arrived on ferries. A 13,000 strong security force manned check-points and police posts across the city as regional leaders began to arrive ahead of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting taking place from January 13 to Bomb blasts in three Philippine cities earlier in the week killed eight people and wounded dozens, but ASEAN organisers shrugged off suggestions that the attacks were aimed at embarrassing the government during the summit. Philippine officials have insisted there is no threat to the summit. Presidents and prime ministers from China, Japan, India, Australia, South Korea and New Zealand will join leaders from the 10-member ASEAN. No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks but police say suspects include the Abu Sayyaf, a militant group with links to al Qaeda, and rogue elements from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which is holding peace talks with the government. Security checks at the Shangri La hotel, the venue for most meetings, remained tight as officials and ministers gathered for trade, counter-terrorism and energy talks. Meanwhile, at Cebu City port about 60 protestors from Bicol province arrived on a ferry ahead of planned anti- ASEAN demonstrations over the weekend. The crowd of chanting protestors waved anti-ASEAN banners and accused the United States of interfering in regional affairs. "The leaders that are coming here to discuss their economic plans are just puppets of the United States. This ASEAN Summit will bring no good to the Filipino people and it is the right and the obligation of the Filipino people to organise themselves," said Sean Velches, from the Karapatan group from Bicol. Dozens of security officers in hard hats and shields blocked the protestors from marching into the city, saying they did not have a permit to demonstrate. Arguments broke out between protestors and security staff but there was no indication of violence. Trade will take centre-stage later in the week at the ASEAN summit and later at the expanded East Asia summit with the six dialogue partners. The grouping is also due to sign a counter-terrorism initiative providing for more coordination among members. ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. ENDS

ITN Source | January 12, 2007

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