THE posh Shangri-La Hotel will be ringed by heavy security this weekend for the Fifth Asia Security Summit - better known as the Shangri-La Dialogue - which will see its largest turnout of defence ministers.
Defence ministers and military chiefs from some of the world's most powerful countries will attend the three-day summit, which begins today with informal meetings among delegates and a keynote speech by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong tonight.
The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), the London-based think-tank organising the event, told The Straits Times yesterday that 16 defence ministers or their deputies and 11 chiefs of defence force will take part in the dialogue.
By David Boey, Defence Correspondent
THE posh Shangri-La Hotel will be ringed by heavy security this weekend for the Fifth Asia Security Summit - better known as the Shangri-La Dialogue - which will see its largest turnout of defence ministers.
Defence ministers and military chiefs from some of the world's most powerful countries will attend the three-day summit, which begins today with informal meetings among delegates and a keynote speech by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong tonight.
The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), the London-based think-tank organising the event, told The Straits Times yesterday that 16 defence ministers or their deputies and 11 chiefs of defence force will take part in the dialogue.
The IISS has the following on its list of participating countries: Australia, Britain, Brunei, Cambodia, Canada, China, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste, the United States and Vietnam.
Dr Tim Huxley, a director in IISS' Singapore-based arm, IISS-Asia, said a number of ministers and defence chiefs are slated to speak, and that the dialogue looked set to achieve its best overall participation this year.
Tomorrow, things kick into high gear with a series of seminars at the Shangri-La Hotel's Island Ballroom.
On the agenda are presentations on the dynamics between the US military and Asia's emerging security architecture, discussions on India and China, as well as how armed forces can be fielded for international security.
On Sunday, participants will discuss how their national security priorities are set and debate how a regional security community can be set up.
Dr Huxley expects that issues floated at previous talks - such as ways of securing sea lanes such as the Malacca Strait - will resurface this year.
He added: 'A number of issues were raised at previous Shangri-La Dialogue seminars that we hope to develop further.
'One would be the role of major powers in Asian security - a topic that was debated at some length by delegates last year.'
The Shangri-La Dialogue started here in 2002.
Over the years, it has evolved into a must-have item on Asia-Pacific defence chiefs' agendas because no other regional event gathers so many of them together for face-to-face talks that are frank and wide-ranging.
And as the heavy hitters get to work, it will be business as usual at the Shangri-La - albeit under heavy security.
The police, Singapore Civil Defence Force and Singapore Armed Forces personnel will maintain a security cordon around the hotel until 8am on Monday.
Roads around the venue will remain open and the Shangri-La Hotel will remain easily accessible to visitors and traffic, but motorists can expect some congestion and random police checks on vehicles and drivers.
