ASEAN LEADERS PLAY IT SAFE

       It appears as if Asean leaders are not comfortable with the idea of meeting dissidents or activists during the late October summit in Cha Am/Hua Hin because they have asked for a list of civic groups prior to the meeting.
       The leading are scheduled to meet with representatives of Parliament, youth and civil society from Asean countries on October 23-the first day of the summit, according to Vitavas Srivihok, director of the Foreign Ministry Asean Affairs Department.
       Names of people waiting to meet the leaders need to be submitted through the Foreign Ministry of each country long before the meeting kicks off, he said.
       Thailand, as the host country, wants to set up a meeting between civic representatives and Asean leaders to make the grouping look like a people-participating organisation.
       However, the move to turn Asean into a people-centred organisation failed at the earlier summit in February because prime ministers from Burma and Cambodia refused to meet two civil representatives.
       The Burmese and Cambodian nationals, who worked for non-government organisations, were denied audience because they were not recognised by the authorities. Instead, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya met the two outside the meeting venue to control damage.
       In a move to make sure the upcoming 15th Asean summit goes smoothly, groups have been told to submit a list of names for advance consideration, Vitavas said.
       "The leaders want to find out about the representatives from their respective countries before meeting them," he said. "Previously the names had arrived at short notice and some leaders were too surprised to see them. In some cases, it is understandable that the leaders might be reluctant to sit in the same room as dissidents."
       At the summit, taking place from October 23 to 25, Asean leaders will also be meeting their counterparts from six Asia-Pacific countries. All leaders have confirmed their participation and the government will invoke the Internal Security Law again to ensure everyone's safety, Vitavas said.