Singapore - Stampedes of reporters and photographers covering diplomatic meetings at Singapore's Shangri-La Hotel have triggered complaints from guests and delegations, the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) said Wednesday.

"Some delegations have been swarmed by the media while entering or exiting the lobby, resulting in them being pushed and jostled," ASEAN's media subcommittee said in an advisory.

"A senior member of a visiting delegation was accidentally hit with a video camera by a photojournalist," it said. "A child was almost trampled on by a group of media personnel chasing some delegates into a lift."

The hotel is the venue for meetings of the foreign ministers of ASEAN's 10-member states; their meetings with representatives from ASEAN's dialogue partners, such as the United States, China, India and the European Union; and the ASEAN Regional Forum, the region's foremost security gathering. The 27-nation forum on Thursday wraps up the annual series of meetings.

The subcommittee urged the media to "exercise restraint, comply with the requests of conference officials and, above all, respect the need for public safety."

While appreciating the role of the media and understanding that these incidents were the result of actions by the few, the subcommittee said, it "cannot condone behaviour that places the safety of delegates, hotel guests, the media and hotel assets in jeopardy."

ASEAN's members are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. (dpa)