Thai-Saudi ties may be severed: Saudi envoy

Thai-Saudi ties may be severed: Saudi envoy

BANGKOK (AFP): Saudi Arabia may sever relations with Thailand if Thai authorities are unable to solve the Saudi jewelry case and the murders here of four Saudi diplomats and a businessman, Riyadh's envoy said last Saturday.

Saudi Charge d'Affaires Mohammad Said Khoja told local reporters that Thai-Saudi relations would return to normal only when the murders of the diplomats and the businessman and the gems case are resolved.

"If the cases cannot be resolved, it is possible that bilateral relations will be severed," Koja said, adding that the decision was up to his government.

During a three-month period in mid 1989, a Thai servant stole US$20 million in jewelry from the palace of a Saudi prince. The Thai returned home with the loot and was caught, but only about 20 percent of the gems were returned and much of what was given back was fake.

Three Saudi embassy employees were gunned down in separate but coordinated attacks in Bangkok on Feb. 1, 1990, and Khoja has said they were killed because they had key information about the missing jewels.

Thailand's new police chief, Pote Bunyachinda, vowed during his swearing in ceremony Friday to pursue the case of the missing jewelry no matter where it takes him, news reports said.

Businessman Mohammed al-Ruwali disappeared here on Feb. 12, 1990, and Khoja has said he was abducted and killed after he made a phone call to a friend in Saudi Arabia in which he said he knew about the jewels.

A fifth Saudi, embassy third secretary Salah el-Malik, was murdered on Jan. 4, 1990, but his death is not believed to be linked to the missing gems.

Khoja repeated his confidence in the government efforts to resolve the cases.

He also said he believes the large blue diamond worth some 320 million baht ($12.8 million), which is considered to be the key piece stolen, is still in Thailand and in possession of a police general.

The envoy said he would be satisfied if the jewelry is retrieved, even if no one is brought to justice.