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Hunt for Trump-Kim venue leads to Singapore's Sentosa Island

June 05, 2018 21:16 IST

Singapore on Tuesday designated a special event area of the Sentosa island tourist resort for the upcoming summit between United States President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un with over 2,500 journalists expected to cover the historic meeting.

IMAGE: A view of Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore. Within the special event areas, there will be a special zone where stricter security checks will be conducted on people and vehicles. Photograph: Edgar Su/Reuters

The second area to be named for the summit was announced in a public order published in the Government Gazette online on Tuesday, which adds to a previous announcement that designated the area around Shangri-La Hotel as a special event area for the summit which is scheduled to take place on June 12.

Extra security measures will be in force for these areas in the period between June 10 and 14.

 

Within the special event areas, there will be a special zone where stricter security checks will be conducted on people and vehicles.

The special zone covers an area that includes Universal Studios Singapore and the Capella hotel, a colonial building on the island of Sentosa just off Singapore linked with a causeway.

IMAGE: More than 2,500 people from the local and international news media are expected to cover the event. Photograph: Edgar Su/Reuters

More than 2,500 people from the local and international news media are expected to cover the event, according to the number of registrations received by the ministry of communications and information on Tuesday.

Journalists will work from the International Media Centre which is being set up at the F1 Pit Building in the Marina Bay area in the Central Business District and miles away from the so far likely venues -- Sentosa island and the Shangri-La hotel.

IMAGE: The special zone covers an area that includes the Capella hotel, a colonial building on the island of Sentosa just off Singapore linked with a causeway. Photograph: Edgar Su/Reuters

On Sunday, the government had announced that the area around the Shangri-La Hotel was designated a special event area for the summit, with a special zone covering an area including Claymore Road, Cuscaden Road, and parts of Nassim Road and Grange Road, off the Central Business District.

Special measures apply to such event areas. For instance, people entering the special event area must allow the police to inspect their personal belongings if asked.

In addition, certain items will not be allowed to be taken into the special event area, according to a Channel News Asia report.

These include explosives and arms as well as aerosol paint containers or substances “capable of being used to mark graffiti”. Megaphones and flags or banners larger than 1 metre by 1 metre or with a handle longer than a metre are also not allowed within the special event area.

IMAGE: A view of Universal Studios Singapore on Sentosa Island in Singapore. Photograph: Edgar Su/Reuters

While there has been no confirmation of the venue of the summit, the Capella - a colonial building-turned-hotel -- has been touted as one possible location.

In a separate notice on Tuesday, the government also issued an order to allow for the use of armoured vehicles from June 3 to June 30, in relation to the summit.

The public order specified four vehicles driven by police officers for the purpose of training and conveying any “non-citizen individual” taking part in the summit or related activities anywhere in Singapore.

This includes any social activities related to the meeting involving any representative of the US or North Korea attending the summit, according to the notice. 

Gurdip Singh
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