Delegates attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit this year in Thailand's seaside resort town of Hua Hin are expected to put the economic slump at the top of the meeting's agenda, while human rights issues will only be on the sidelines. Burma is likely to dodge criticism from its neighbors about its refusal to comply with the United Nations' demand to release political detainees , including its high-profile prisoner Aung San Suu Kyi. Host country Thailand might also be able to steer the spotlight away from the Thai army's alleged mistreatment of Rohingya refugees. ASEAN is hopeful that it will be able to establish a single market within the region by 2015 and achieve what the European Union has. However, leaders of some member countries are doubtful much will be achieved wihtout help from China, Japan and Korea. The summit was originally scheduled for December in Bangkok, but had to be postponed because of the political turmoil in Thailand and the closure of the country's largest international airport.
AP