Nath, others evacuated from Asean meet

Commerce Minister Kamal Nath and Commerce Secretary Gopal K Pillai had to be evacuated in a helicopter from the venue of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit at Pattaya, Thailand, after it was stormed by thousands of anti-government protesters. Thailand cancelled the crucial regional summit in which the global economic crisis was at the top of the agenda.

Nath was representing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the summit and was accompanied by a team of officials headed by Pillai. “Other Indian officials have left the venue by road,” said a Commerce Ministry official. Nath and Pillai have reached the country today, while other officials are expected to be back home tomorrow.

Many other Asean leaders were also evacuated form the venue. The summit was originally planned in December 2008 but was postponed due to the unfavourable political situation in the country.

India was to discuss the proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Asean at the summit. Talks on the agreement were concluded in mid-2008 and the deal was to be signed in December 2008. But as the summit was postponed, both the sides could not ink the deal. Subsequently, the 10-member economic bloc raised some issues on the schedule for the proposed duty cuts. This was to be discussed at the Pattaya summit.

The final call on the India-Asean FTA will now be taken by the new government in New Delhi which is expected to assume office in mid-2009.

The summit was attended by leaders of the Asean nations, as well as China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and Japan. In addition, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn, World Bank President Robert Zoellick and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon were scheduled to attend the summit.

Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister, Suthep Thaugsuban, told the media that most heads of state have left the country. More than 1,000 anti government protesters, nicknamed Red Shirts, were demanding the resignation of Thailand’s Prime Minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva. Ironically, Vejjajiva assumed power in December 2008, after protesters supporting him shut down the country’s airports.