Richard S. Ehrlich: Thailand Anti-Singapore

Thailand Anti-Singapore

BANGKOK, Thailand -- Official links between Thailand and Singapore, two of America's staunchest Southeast Asian military allies, have turned hostile amid security fears after the tiny island nation hosted former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was toppled in a coup by Bangkok's army.

Thailand's rightwing, royalist junta blasted Singapore's government for allowing Mr. Thaksin to meet its deputy prime minister, and Bangkok blocked CNN and BBC TV broadcasting Mr. Thaksin's statements made while in Singapore.

The rapidly degenerating relationship between the two neighbors, usually very close, sparked security fears at the highest levels of Bangkok's military regime.

"The army is also in trouble," warned Army Commander-in-Chief Gen. Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, who led a bloodless Sept. 19 coup against Mr. Thaksin's three-time elected government.

"Our communications and information sent over mobile phones, or via satellite, could appear in Singapore," Gen. Sonthi told a forum on Wednesday (January 18).

"Although Singapore is not our enemy, we are economic rivals. They could be informed of secrets in the army, and in the economic sector." Thailand's satellite-based communications are partially owned by the Singapore government.

An editorial cartoon on Thursday (January 18) in an anti-Thaksin newspaper, the Bangkok Post, showed a gigantic television broadcasting his CNN interview, which took place in Singapore earlier this week. In the satirical cartoon, Mr. Thaksin shouts "Boo!" and a tiny, wind-up, toy tank -- symbolizing Bangkok's military regime -- is shown toppling back in nervous shock.

Angered by Mr. Thaksin's activities in Singapore, the Thai junta cancelled high-level meetings between the two countries, including Singaporean Foreign Minister George Yeo's invitation to Bangkok for a three-day, civil service exchange program later this month.

"The move was also a stern warning to China, Britain, Australia, the U.S., Indonesia and others over Thailand's sensitivities about any future dealings they may have with the ousted premier, who is accused of massive corruption," a pro-coup Thai newspaper, The Nation, reported on Thursday (January 18).

"I think we have an absolute right to show our neighbor there is something wrong with its behavior, but the move was not anything major and will not affect bilateral military ties," Thailand's Defense Permanent Secretary, Gen. Winai Phattiyakul, said on Wednesday (January 17).

"It is our internal political problem, because there are many Thais who are still loyal to, and love, Mr. Thaksin," said Bangkok's military-installed Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont.

"So we ask Singapore to consider whether his movements send any messages to Thailand, especially as Mr. Thaksin met with [Mr. S. Jayakumar] Singapore's deputy prime minister," Mr. Surayud said on Tuesday (January 16).

"It is a good thing and beneficial to the country if Mr. Thaksin actually quits politics, as he announced through CNN," said Gen. Sonthi.

The junta "wants him to delay his return to Thailand," Gen. Sonthi said on Tuesday (January 16). Singapore expressed dismay at Thailand's ire.

"It was purely a social and private meeting. No official calls or meetings were arranged," Singapore's foreign ministry said on Tuesday (January 16).

"We hope Thailand will respect Singapore's position as that of a sovereign country. We value the longstanding friendly relations with Thailand."

Mr. Thaksin and his family sold their share in their telecommunications empire, Shin Corp., to the Singapore government's Temasek Holdings for 1.8 billion U.S. dollars in January 2006.

Gen. Sonthi, about to be fired by Mr. Thaksin, led a coup against the prime minister amid emotional allegations that Mr. Thaksin illegally dodged capital gains tax on the Shin Corp. deal, among other corrupt practices during his five-year administration. Singapore is a big investor in Thailand, especially in banking, real estate and telecommunications.

Thailand revoked the diplomatic passports of Mr. Thaksin and his wealthy wife, Pojaman, on Jan. 10, citing "security concerns," but the pair were allowed to use normal passports to continue their travels, which earlier included London, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Beijing.

The junta also blamed unidentified "undercurrents" -- who lost power and money as a result of the coup -- for a string of New Year's Eve bomb blasts in Bangkok, which killed three people and injured 38, including nine foreigners.

Prominent Thais among the elite, military, media, middle-class and academia supported the army's overnight destruction of their country's democracy, claiming the coup would clean up this Buddhist-majority nation.

Mr. Thaksin's fate has already jeopardized U.S. attempts to further strengthen Thailand's armed forces.

About 14 million U.S. dollars in "military assistance under the Foreign Operations Assistance Act, the combination of Foreign Military Financing, and IMET's International Military Education and Training," were placed under "review" because of the coup, U.S. State Department Deputy Spokesman Tom Casey said in September.

Copyright by Richard S. Ehrlich, who has reported news from Asia for the past 28 years, and is co-author of the non-fiction book of investigative journalism, "HELLO MY BIG BIG HONEY!" Love Letters to Bangkok Bar Girls and Their Revealing Interviews. His web page is http://www.geocities.com/asia_correspondent

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