Roadblocks and security checks at various locations in the city area as Singapore are expected in anticipation of the 13th ASEAN Summit and its related meetings. The main meetings will be held from 18 to 22 November at the Shangri-La Hotel. However, other key events will also take place at the Raffles City Convention Centre, Asian Civilisations Museum and the Istana.
For a start, Police and the Foreign Affairs Ministry will be conducting an exercise on Thursday, 15 November at the Raffles City Convention Centre.
So from 6.00pm to 9.30pm, these roads will be closed:
1) North Bridge Road (between Middle Road and Stamford Road)
2) Extreme right lane along Bras Basah Road (between Bencoolen Street and North Bridge Road)
From 7.00pm to 10.00pm, roads near the Asian Civilisations Museum will also be closed:
1) Old Parliament Lane.
2) Empress Place.
On 20 November, vehicles entering Raffles City will be screened before entry to the basement car park.
Lanes along the following roads will be closed on 20 November from 6.00am to 11.00pm to facilitate screening:
1) Stamford Road between Beach Road and the entrance into Raffles City (right-most lane)
2) Bras Basah Road between North Bridge Road and the driveway into Raffles City car park (The right-most lane).
On 20 November, the following roads will be also closed from 6.00pm to 11.00pm:
1) North Bridge Road (between Middle Rd and Stamford Road)
2) Right-most lane along Bras Basah Road (between Bencoolen Street and North Bridge Road)
Traffic congestion is expected at the event venue and its peripheral roads. Motorists have been advised to take public transport if they are going to Raffles City. The taxi stand in front of RCCC along North Bridge Road will be closed from 5.00pm to 11.00pm, but the taxi stands along Stamford Road and at Swissotel will remain open.
On 21 November, roads surrounding the Asian Civilisations Museum will be closed from 2.00pm to 11.00pm and the roads are:
1) Old Parliament Lane.
2) Empress Place.
Also on 21 November, these roads will be closed from 7.00pm to 9.00pm:
1) Connaught Drive (between Fullerton Road and St Andrew’s Road)
2) St Andrew’s Road (between Connaught Drive and Stamford Road)
3) Stamford Road (between St Andrew’s Road and Armenian Street)
4) Fort Canning Tunnel (between Stamford Road and Penang Road)
5) Penang Road (between Fort Canning Tunnel and Buyong Road)
6) Buyong Road (between Penang Road and Orchard Road)
7) Orchard Road (between Buyong Road and Oldham Lane)
During this period, only police vehicles, emergency vehicles and those with special labels will be allowed to enter the closed roads. Police officers will be deployed at the affected road junctions to assist and direct motorists.
Amongst the actions taken:
- Public bus services affected by the road closure will be diverted from the closed roads.
- There are also advisory signs on lampposts and electronic Variable Message Signs at strategic locations leading to the event venues.
- Unauthorized parking and vehicles that are found parking indiscriminately or causing obstruction will be towed away.
- Police officers will also be on patrol in the vicinity of all the event venues and may conduct selective checks on members of the public and vehicles in or around the premises. Police say they need the public’s co-operation and understanding for any inconvenienced caused.
Simultaneously, protesters are getting ready to express their views, both on issues concerning Singapore, and ASEAN related. Security-wise, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will use about 10 armour-plated cars to ferry heads of state and government.
Police say laws governing public protests will apply when Singapore hosts the ASEAN summit and its related meetings from 18-22 November. The meetings come in the wake of a military crackdown in Myanmar which had sparked public demonstrations in many countries.
In lieu of protests in the Philippine city of Cebu, the venue of last year’s ASEAN summit, security measures will be stepped up accordingly. However, Singapore’s police say they are prepared to deal with any such security issues and they have learnt from events around the world.
(A protest in Singapore may only take place if a group of 5 or more people is entitled to do so via a permit.)
They say they have received and rejected an application by a local individual to hold an assembly outside the Shangri-La Hotel where the summit will be held.
Opposition party Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) says on its website that its request to hold a protest on Monday has been denied. (http://www.singaporedemocrat.org/)
The SDP says it wants to protest the presence of Myanmar delegates in Singapore and call on ASEAN to promote democracy in the region.
“Police would like to inform everyone to respect our laws. There are avenues to get your views heard legally. And if you wish to do so, you can always apply to the Police to have your event in an indoor venue,” say the Police.
information from Channel News Asia
Filed under: Society
