The Pattaya Ordeal

Recently, attended the Pattaya ASEAN Leaders meeting - supposed to be from 10 - 12 April back-to-back after the ASEAN Finance Ministers meeting from 6-9 April 2009. The Finance ministers meeting went well at the Amari Hotel. I enjoyed the sessions coz the whole proceedings were new to me. I learn a lot, especially the delegates may agree on certain issues but we should take it as final because they may change. Its not like agreeing to something and that's it. Decision made should be respected.

On the 9th evening, I moved to Royal Beach Cliff hotel, where the ASEAN plus 3(China, Japan and Korea) leaders meeting will be held. However, the meeting was disrupted by pro-Thaksin protesters in red-shirts. They also clashed with blue-shirts apparently sympathizers of Abhisit. The red-shirts protesters blocked of the hotel area with hundreds of cabs disallowing Chinese, Japanese and Korean premiers from attending the meeting.They returned back to their countries. They protesters then barge into the covention hall breaking glass walls. Then, the protesters rushed towards the hotel block where the ASEAN premiers were staying. Most of the leaders were airlifted by helicopters. The Malaysian Premier stayed on and were taken to the airport by land.

The moral of the story is - in such an important meeting where some of the major world leaders from China, Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand and ASEAN were suppose to meet, the security should be top-class. The Thai army, police and navy personnel were there and they should have been able to block and chased-off the protesters. Maybe the army and polic personnel are sympathetic to the cause of the protesters. Anyway its a big-blow to Thai security officials.

On my personal experience, i can't count on our Malaysia foreign affairs officials. They to entangled with protocols and handling the VIPs and even using the transport available in time of need to send off officials. My group had to find our own way and rent a van to get out of Pattaya.