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PHUKET, Thailand, July 23 -- Thailand's Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan announced Thursday the Thai military will start withdrawing troops from the southern province of Phuket from midnight as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)meetings officially ended. As the ASEAN chairman for 2009, during July 17-23, Thailand organized the 42nd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM), the Post Ministerial Conferences (PMC) and the 16th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in resort island Phuket. In a bid to ensure security for the ASEAN meetings, including preventing any anti-government rally at the ASEAN venues, the government has enforced since July 10 the Internal Security Act (ISA). Under the ISA at least 10,000 soldiers have been deployed to keep law and order at the ASEAN venues in Phuket. As the ASEAN meetings officially ended on Thursday afternoon, Gen. Prawit said Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjiva will later announce the lifting of the imposition of the Internal Security Act. |
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