MINISTERS ARRIVING AT HOTEL; DEMONSTRATORS MEET; POLICE CLASH WITH DEMONSTRATORS.




Initials PS/VS/AS/SC


EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: OUR PRODUCTION NUMBER 5174/69: "ASPAC MEETING GETS UNDERWAY DESPITE STUDENT PROTESTS" SERVICED TODAY ALSO REFERS.

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: AT LEAST 200 STUDENTS WERE ARRESTED ON SUNDAY (8 JUNE) IN A DEMONSTRATION PROTESTING AT YESTERDAY'S MEETING OF THE ASIAN AND PACIFIC COUNCIL (ASPAC) CONFERENCE IN ITOH CITY.

ABOUT 2,000 LEFT-WING STUDENTS LAUNCHED THE DEMONSTRATION IN AN ATTEMPT TO DISRUPT THE THREE-DAY CONFERENCE WHICH THEY BELIEVE COULD LEAD TO A MILITARY ALLIANCE BETWEEN THE MEMBER COUNTRIES -- AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, THE PHILIPPINES, MALAYSIA, THAILAND, SOUTH KOREA, SOUTH VIETNAM, TAIWAN AND JAPAN.

THE CONFERENCE IS BEING HELD TO DISCUSS WAYS OF PROMOTING TRADE, REGIONAL CO-OPERATION AND FRIENDSHIP.

THOUSANDS OF POLICE WERE SPECIALLY DRAFTED INTO THE COASTAL RESORT TO DEAL WITH THE DEMONSTRATION.

UNDER GOVERNMENT INSTRUCTIONS TO DEAL HARSHLY WITH THE DEMONSTRATORS, THE POLICE RUSHED IN TO DISPERSE THE STUDENTS AS THEY MARCHED THROUGH THE STREETS.

ABOUT 60 PEOPLE -- INCLUDING POLICE, STUDENTS AND BYSTANDERS -- WERE INJURED IN HAND-TO-HAND FIGHTING AND ROCK THROWING.

USING A NEW TYPE OF TEAR-GAS, MORE EFFECTIVE THAN OTHERS, THE POLICE MANAGED TO DISPERSE THE CHANTING DEMONSTRATORS.

WHILE THE STUDENTS FOUGHT POLICE IN THE STREETS. THE MINISTERS ATTENDING YESTERDAY'S FIRST DAY OF THE CONFERENCE WERE SAFELY IN A HOTEL SEVERAL MILES AWAY, HEAVILY GUARDED BY POLICE.