A Thai soldier guards a school in Yala province. Thailand on Monday backed away from comments that extremists from Cambodia and Indonesia were training separatist rebels in the Thai south, after the accusations provoked outrage from Cambodia (AFP/File/Muhammad Sabri) Monday May 21, 2007
BANGKOK (AFP) - Thailand on Monday backed away from comments that extremists from Cambodia and Indonesia were training separatist rebels in the Thai south, after the accusations provoked outrage from Cambodia.
General Watanachai Chaimuanwong, a senior security adviser to the Thai prime minister, said last week that foreign experts were providing weapons and bomb making training in the Muslim-majority south.
But on Monday he said the government had no evidence to back up those claims, and said it was a "sensitive issue."
"Intelligence reports pointed to specialists from Indonesia and Cambodia training rebels in southern Thailand, but the government cannot prove or confirm their nationalities because we don't have clear evidence yet," Watanachai told reporters.
Watanachai said on Thursday that Thai authorities were investigating reports that hundreds of Cambodian Muslims with links to the Jemaah Islamiyah extremist network may have slipped into Thailand.
His comments were not well received by Cambodia. Khieu Kanharith, Cambodian government spokesman, said it was a "gross accusation" and accused Thailand of trying to find a scapegoat for the southern violence.
More than 2,200 people have been killed in the three southern provinces bordering Malaysia since the latest insurgency erupted in January 2004, and rebels have recently stepped up their bloody campaign for a separate state.
The Thai government had previously denied that the insurgents were receiving any assistance from overseas groups, and insisted it was an internal problem.
Watanachai said Monday that the government, installed after a coup last September, was again trying to launch a round of negotiations with rebels, in their latest bit to end the violence.
He cautioned, however, that the unrest may not be solved within this government's term.
The ruling junta has promised elections and a democratically elected government by the end of the year.
General Watanachai Chaimuanwong, a senior security adviser to the Thai prime minister, said last week that foreign experts were providing weapons and bomb making training in the Muslim-majority south.
But on Monday he said the government had no evidence to back up those claims, and said it was a "sensitive issue."
"Intelligence reports pointed to specialists from Indonesia and Cambodia training rebels in southern Thailand, but the government cannot prove or confirm their nationalities because we don't have clear evidence yet," Watanachai told reporters.
Watanachai said on Thursday that Thai authorities were investigating reports that hundreds of Cambodian Muslims with links to the Jemaah Islamiyah extremist network may have slipped into Thailand.
His comments were not well received by Cambodia. Khieu Kanharith, Cambodian government spokesman, said it was a "gross accusation" and accused Thailand of trying to find a scapegoat for the southern violence.
More than 2,200 people have been killed in the three southern provinces bordering Malaysia since the latest insurgency erupted in January 2004, and rebels have recently stepped up their bloody campaign for a separate state.
The Thai government had previously denied that the insurgents were receiving any assistance from overseas groups, and insisted it was an internal problem.
Watanachai said Monday that the government, installed after a coup last September, was again trying to launch a round of negotiations with rebels, in their latest bit to end the violence.
He cautioned, however, that the unrest may not be solved within this government's term.
The ruling junta has promised elections and a democratically elected government by the end of the year.
9 comments:
It doesn't matter, we must maintain
vigilant at all time not to allow
any lowlife to ruin our economy and
make our people suffer.
Yeahh..a lowlife like you need to be taught instead of pointing your dirty fingers at others. A dumb down like you and your gangsters destroy the country like cancer from Hanoi to Cambodia.
Cambodia won't get better when many lowlife from Hanoi like you are sucking their blood.
Wrong, Cambodia is not destroyed.
We have been enjoying the fastest
growth in Asia for the last few
years if not the entire world.
Yeahh fastest among the Yuan thugs like you. Cambodia is still the poorest country in the world.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4584003.stm
Fluke's boy, we have to grow out
of something.
what a fuck and why both of you fighting our stupid thing. Think big...OK! Thai does not what Cambodia grow economically as well as Vietname....but Hen Sen does play even game with Thai. Thai and Cambodia still in dispute on maritime which include oil wealth Cambodia may have....so they have Coup a few months ago to show Hen Sen their disagreement. But Hen Sen a bit clever, visit Burma to "you know what?" prepare his move if anything happen...at the same time who knows of the Cham's in Cambodia can do to Thai???
Think!!! Boys!
Cham is no more, They are KHmer Islam. Yeahh when the Muslims got power, it will be more nightmare 1000 times worse than Ho Chi Minh or Pol Pot. They make you wear the bombs. That will be the end of the story.
Your guys better stop calling them Cham but calling them brother/sisters Khmer Islam, if you don't stop then you know the price you will be paid if the Muslims rule the world. We need to support US to fight Osama Binladen.
The Thaicong are not in position to dictate anything on Cambodia! Cambodia had become a place of neutral ground for all country!
Cambodia can only become a strong country by looking beyond the Thaicong and the Vietcong know how!
Fluke's Boy, we do not need
to support the US to fight Bin
Laden. What we need is to stop
them from fighting. You don't
realized how many wild dogs is
created on both sides of the
fences every year, and it will put
us all at risk as the fighting
continues. Therefore, both sides
should stop fighting, get some
moral education, then find a common
solution that is less destructive
to our planet.
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