Malaysia FM chides Thailand

Malaysia FM chides Thailand

MALAYSIA: Malaysia's foreign minister told Thailand not to
interfere in his country's foreign policy and vowed to continue
commenting on the Muslim insurgency in Thailand's southern
provinces, a news report said on Tuesday.

The comments by Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar are likely
to fuel a growing diplomatic spat between the two countries over
Buddhist-dominated Thailand's handling of the insurgency near its
border with Malaysia.

On Monday, Thai Foreign Minister Kantathi Supamongkhon said
predominantly Muslim Malaysia was making unhelpful comments and
was trying to "teach us things that there is no need to teach."

Syed Hamid said he was "very disappointed" with Kantathi's
views and would continue speaking out on the insurgency because
it affected Malaysia's interests, the New Straits Times reported.

"If they don't like to be told how to conduct their foreign
affairs -- which we have no intention of doing -- then they
should not tell us how to conduct ours," it quoted Syed Hamid as
saying on Monday. "How can they stop us from saying what we
feel?"

Syed Hamid said he had been "very chivalrous and gentlemanly"
with Kantathi on many occasions, and his Thai counterpart "should
not make an allegation and expect us to seal our lips," the
newspaper reported.

Relations between the neighbors have been strained since the
insurgency flared early last year. More than 1,000 people have
died in the violence. -- AP