14TH ASEAN SUMMIT MAY BE MOVED OUT OF THAILAND

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 12 (Bernama) - The 14th Asean Summit, which is supposed
to
be hosted by Thailand, may be moved out of the country due to the political
uncertainties there, Japan's Ambassador to Malaysia, Masahiko Horie
said.

"Within Asean members they are discussing about holding the Summit earlier
then March at some other location than Thailand," he told a press
conference at his official residence here, Friday.

He said there was an urgent need to conduct the meeting at a soonest
possible date as it was important for the grouping to discuss the impact of the
current economic problems.

"Asean needs to discuss," Horie stressed.

Last Friday, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was quoted as
saying
that the postponement of the December 15-18 summit to March was a setback for
all the Southeast Asian nations and suggested that the Asean Secretariat host
the event at its office in Jakarta.

The Summit was supposed to take place in Chiang Mai, Thailand next week but
was postponed to March 2009 due to the anti-government protest in the country,
where demonstrators blocked two airports and the prime minister's office, all in
Bangkok.

Subsequently, a Thai court stripped Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat of his
post and outlawed the ruling party.

However, a news report Friday quoted Democrat Party leader, Abhisit
Vejjajiva as saying that if he was elected as the prime minister, his government
will accord the top priority to Asean and move up the 14th Asean Summit to early
February.

Abhisit, whose party is expected to form a new coalition government next
week, was quoted saying in the news report that Asean was pivotal to all members
because of its huge market and economic potential and its future plan for
integration into one community.

-- BERNAMA