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AP-ASEAN Summit Protesters Disperse



Subject: AP-ASEAN Summit Protesters Dispersed

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Wednesday November 24 2:39 AM ET=20
ASEAN Summit Protesters Dispersed
By PAUL ALEXANDER Associated Press Writer=20

MANILA, Philippines (AP) - Police used high-pressure water hoses to =
disperse protesters today as diplomats from Southeast Asia discussed =
ways to ease tensions and promote economic recovery in the region.=20

About 200 protesters were stopped by riot police 300 yards from the =
summit site along Manila Bay, and then forced back by water from three =
fire trucks.=20

The protesters carried signs saying ``ASEAN Sellout'' and issued a =
statement that urged delegates to the 10-member Association of Southeast =
Asian Nations summit to ``wake up and accept the reality that =
globalization has brought more harm than good to the people of Southeast =
Asia.''=20

``They're not going to make any plans that will benefit either Filipinos =
or people elsewhere in Southeast Asia,'' said Anya Silverio, a =
spokeswoman for the demonstrators.=20

The protesters say ASEAN's policy of free trade will expose Southeast =
Asian countries to competition from large multinational companies that =
will result in massive layoffs and business closures.=20

Economic issues are expected to dominate the meetings as ASEAN nations =
try to rebound from the 2-year-old Asian financial crisis. Some nations =
already have started to recover, but others continue to struggle.=20

Japan, which will join China and South Korea on Sunday for the meeting =
with the leaders of ASEAN nations, already has pledged $82 billion for =
the region and is likely to come under pressure for even more =
assistance.=20

Security in Manila is tight for the summit meetings, with Philippine =
officials deploying 7,000 police and troops. Defense Secretary Orlando =
Mercado said there have been no major threats, and police are likely to =
focus on keeping planned protests from becoming unruly.=20

Several left-wing groups have announced plans to protest the eviction by =
police of hundreds of squatters who lived near the meeting site. Several =
people were injured in the evictions last week.=20

The diplomats hope to agree on a ``code of conduct'' aimed at cooling =
territorial disputes in the South China Sea, one of the region's most =
serious security threats.=20

The South China Sea conflict centers on the Spratly Islands, located in =
the middle of the sea between Vietnam to the west and the Philippines to =
the east.=20

The islands, believed to be rich in oil and gas, are claimed by six =
governments: Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam - all ASEAN =
members - plus China and Taiwan. China, Malaysia and Vietnam have all =
recently built or enlarged structures on the islands to reinforce their =
territorial claims.=20

The proposed code of conduct says rival claimants will refrain from =
``new occupation of presently unoccupied'' areas. But ASEAN members have =
not been able to agree on the geographic area covered by the code, =
officials say. Some think it should cover the whole sea, others say it =
should be just specific islands.=20

ASEAN is comprised of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, =
Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. This will be =
the first ASEAN summit that Cambodia will attend as a full member after =
being inducted into the group earlier this year.=20




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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><B>Wednesday November 24 2:39 AM ET</B> =

<H2>ASEAN Summit Protesters Dispersed</H2><!-- TextStart -->
<P><FONT size=3D-1><I>By PAUL ALEXANDER Associated Press Writer =
</I></FONT>
<P>MANILA, Philippines (AP) - Police used high-pressure water hoses to =
disperse=20
protesters today as diplomats from Southeast Asia discussed ways to ease =

tensions and promote economic recovery in the region.=20
<P>About 200 protesters were stopped by riot police 300 yards from the =
summit=20
site along Manila Bay, and then forced back by water from three fire =
trucks.=20
<P>The protesters carried signs saying ``ASEAN Sellout'' and issued a =
statement=20
that urged delegates to the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian =
Nations=20
summit to ``wake up and accept the reality that globalization has =
brought more=20
harm than good to the people of Southeast Asia.''=20
<P>``They're not going to make any plans that will benefit either =
Filipinos or=20
people elsewhere in Southeast Asia,'' said Anya Silverio, a spokeswoman =
for the=20
demonstrators.=20
<P>The protesters say ASEAN's policy of free trade will expose Southeast =
Asian=20
countries to competition from large multinational companies that will =
result in=20
massive layoffs and business closures.=20
<P>Economic issues are expected to dominate the meetings as ASEAN =
nations try to=20
rebound from the 2-year-old Asian financial crisis. Some nations already =
have=20
started to recover, but others continue to struggle.=20
<P>Japan, which will join China and South Korea on Sunday for the =
meeting with=20
the leaders of ASEAN nations, already has pledged $82 billion for the =
region and=20
is likely to come under pressure for even more assistance.=20
<P>Security in Manila is tight for the summit meetings, with Philippine=20
officials deploying 7,000 police and troops. Defense Secretary Orlando =
Mercado=20
said there have been no major threats, and police are likely to focus on =
keeping=20
planned protests from becoming unruly.=20
<P>Several left-wing groups have announced plans to protest the eviction =
by=20
police of hundreds of squatters who lived near the meeting site. Several =
people=20
were injured in the evictions last week.=20
<P>The diplomats hope to agree on a ``code of conduct'' aimed at cooling =

territorial disputes in the South China Sea, one of the region's most =
serious=20
security threats.=20
<P>The South China Sea conflict centers on the Spratly Islands, located =
in the=20
middle of the sea between Vietnam to the west and the Philippines to the =
east.=20
<P>The islands, believed to be rich in oil and gas, are claimed by six=20
governments: Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam - all ASEAN =
members -=20
plus China and Taiwan. China, Malaysia and Vietnam have all recently =
built or=20
enlarged structures on the islands to reinforce their territorial =
claims.=20
<P>The proposed code of conduct says rival claimants will refrain from =
``new=20
occupation of presently unoccupied'' areas. But ASEAN members have not =
been able=20
to agree on the geographic area covered by the code, officials say. Some =
think=20
it should cover the whole sea, others say it should be just specific =
islands.=20
<P>ASEAN is comprised of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, =
Myanmar,=20
the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. This will be the first =
ASEAN=20
summit that Cambodia will attend as a full member after being inducted =
into the=20
group earlier this year. <!-- TextEnd =
--><BR><BR></P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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