Cobra Gold benefits all

Bangkok Post 13/01/2010 Cobra Gold 2010 takes on a decidedly new look this year. The longest-running and largest military war games in Southeast Asia have a new date and a brand new direct participant. The 28th annual exercises will be held during the first 11 days of February, a departure from the usual April-May dates during the hot season. The participating armed forces have increased once again, this time to six nations. Some 411 soldiers from the South Korean army will join the Thai-US operation for the first time, along with troops from Japan, Singapore and Indonesia.

The imminent arrival of the Korean forces has caused a minor undercurrent of comment. There are some who apparently see the addition of the South Koreans as some sort of comment or even threat to the balance of power in East Asia. These detractors are wrong, for several reasons. The entire point of Cobra Gold military exercises from the beginning in 1982 has been to encourage openness. The war games themselves take part in full view of the public. This year, there are numerous observers as always, from the region and the world. Ten official observers include military and diplomatic officers from China, France, the Philippines and Germany, and others.

Little expected from PM's trip

Bangkok Post 07/01/2010

The government's handling of these outstanding cases and a few prominent others, such as the forced disappearance of Muslim human rights lawyer Somchai Neelapaijit and the Krue Se mosque attack, has been viewed with extreme mistrust and suspicion by local Muslims in general that they are denied basic justice. In the Tak Bai case, the court ruled that the victims died of suffocation and none of the military officers charged were held accountable

The last time Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva visited the violence-plagued far South was on December 9, 2009 when he was accompanied by his visiting Malaysian counterpart, Najib Razak. But the working trip was marred by a spate of bombings and shootings believed to be perpetrated by radical militants, leaving two officials and one female civilian dead and many more injured.

Despite the violence, the two prime ministers managed to preside over the opening of a friendship bridge in Narathiwat and to visit a village of widows, also in the same province. It was, however, very disappointing that Mr Abhisit decided to cut short the trip; he flew back to Bangkok that afternoon in order to be able to attend the official opening of the SEA Games in Vientiane in the evening, leaving Mr Najib to be taken care of by Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban for the rest of the planned itinerary.

For seasoned observers, Mr Abhisit's last visit to the region, specifically Narathiwat, could hardly be described as an achievement that would contribute to the improvement of the situation in the far South. If he is not satisfied with the performance of authorities concerned in their handling of the situation down there, as he recently admitted, then, he too might be partly held accountable for their failure, in his capacity as the government leader.

Security beefed up in the South to prepare for PM's visit

The Nation 07/01/2010

Tight security measures, including the deployment of a 1,000-strong riot force, have already been enforced 24 hours ahead of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's visit to the deep South today.

Abhisit is scheduled to officially open Route 418, which makes the South more easily accessible.

"The security measures would focus on closely monitoring any suspicious movements, so as to pre-empt any insurgency plans," Lt-General Kasikorn Sirisri said in his capacity as the officer in charge of security.

Security will be beefed up to maximum at all points that the PM will visit or travel through, he said. In addition, the combined force of soldiers, policemen and civilians will intensify monitoring operations in the southernmost provinces as a precaution, he added.

Route 418, partly constructed by the Army, is a 29-kilometre-long, four-lane highway linking Yala and the other two southernmost provinces.

At present, the only road that runs in the South is the two-lane Route 410, which is prone to insurgent attacks.

No word

The Nation

Thaksin has tete-a-tete with 'spy' in cambodia

The Nation:

Sivarak flies home today; ex-PM's second visit certain to stoke tension between neighbours

Fugitive ex-Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra swooped into Phnom Penh yesterday and headed directly to the prison holding the Thai engineer convicted of spying, in a move destined to further strain ties with Cambodia.

Sivarak Chutipong, who was sentenced by a Cambodian court to seven years jail for leaking the flight plan of Thaksin's previous trip but was pardoned by Cambodia's king on Friday, will return to Thailand this afternoon, his mother Simarak na Nakhon Panom said.

Yesterday's meeting appeared to be the first time Sivarak had met Thaksin whose visit, the second in about a month, is certain to further stoke tension between the neighbouring countries. It has also been confirmed yesterday that Thaksin had requested Sivarak's pardon in a phone call to Cambodian leader Hun Sen.

Amid speculation in Thailand that the Sivarak saga was a political manipulation to reboost his image, Thaksin was driven straight from the airport to Prey Sar prison. Some 300 special forces troops were deployed along the route of his motorcade and around the penitentiary's compound.

Malaysia and Thialand PM on trouble southern Thailand

The Nation Malaysia willing to help down South, but will not interfere

During Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak's recent historic visit to Thailand, he and his Thai counterpart Abhisit Vejjajiva sat down with Nation Multimedia Group's editor-in-chief, Suthichai Yoon, to talk about regional affairs.

The interview will be aired on Channel 9's World Beat show on Tuesday. Here are some excerpts:

SUTHICHAI: What is your main message for Thailand?

NAJIB: Malaysia is a partner. We are not only a neighbour. We want to partner with Thailand in terms of the added challenge of security, economy, development, economic integration, how we face global challenges, world trade … we have to have a common position. That's why it's important for us to understand each other and to decide not only on a common agenda but a common way

forward.

PM Abhisit, don't you find that the Malaysian PM going down South constitutes an interference in our domestic affairs?

ABHISIT: When I first suggested the idea, he very quickly agreed. I think it's important as neighbours that we understand each other and I think nothing beats seeing it first hand … what we are trying to do, what the conditions are. I think Malaysia has been very supportive of the way we work on the southern border provinces and with this first-hand experience, we hope it will make the further contribution that Prime Minister Najib has kindly offered us even more efficient and well-targeted.

The suspicion used to be that people who created trouble fled to the other side and they were well taken care of and they came back whenever they wanted. Is that suspicion gone?

ABHISIT: Well, you said there are suspicions and we have discussed this issue. Malaysia has clearly stated that she has been cooperating with us all along in terms of sharing intelligence, not supporting any kind of violence … I'm very pleased and appreciate Prime Minister Najib's comments made on several occasions that he has been very supportive of what we are trying to do.

NAJIB: We had an incident with the 131 people [who fled to Malaysia from Thailand]. We wanted them to return right away but if we had a hidden agenda, we would keep them in Malaysia. We would not tell you that they are in Malaysia. But we are very transparent. We got an assurance from the Thai government that it was safe to go back.

But what about the militants?

ABHISIT: Those people are going to move around. But we have a good understanding of what has to be done. I believe we will establish a very good standard operating procedure, not just at the policy level but at the operation level.

But they have sympathisers on the other side who would hide them.

NAJIB: Yes, sure. But you can't avoid that. That's one of the reasons why you must solve this dual citizenship problem, because quite a few of these people have a dual citizenship. So when we resolve this problem once and for all, it would be a lot easier for us to track and monitor the movement of people.