Thailand stuns over RI's policies on troubled Aceh

Thailand stuns over RI's policies on troubled Aceh

The Nation, Asia News Network, Bangkok

By backing the attack on Aceh rebels, Bangkok may have given
up on hopes for peace in the strife-torn province

For a country that doesn't like to make its foreign policy
stance known, Thailand managed to surprise the international
community when it threw its support behind the Indonesian
government in their all-out war against the separatist Acehnese.

The announcement came just days after the international
community, including the European Union, Japan and the United
States, had urged Jakarta to reconsider the plan to send
thousands of troops into the restive province and give peace a
chance.

During his recent visit to Indonesia, Foreign Minister
Surakiart Sathirathai defended Thailand's decision on the ground
of Indonesia's national unity, saying it was in Thailand's
interest to see Asean members stay in one piece.

The announcement was greatly welcomed by Jakarta, which has
repeatedly expressed concerns over the number of small arms being
sent to the rebels in Aceh in the recent years, despite a
supposed cease-fire.

Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda told
reporters after his meeting with Surakiart that Indonesia
appreciates everything that Bangkok has done regarding the
problems, "but we hope they can do more".

President Megawati Soekarnoputri has asked the Thai government
to curb arms smuggling from Thailand to the war-torn province and
ensure that no GAM rebels seek asylum there.

Hassan said there had been reports of movements of arms from
southern Thailand to Aceh. The weapons, he said, were left over
from the civil war in Cambodia and were being sold cheaply to
smugglers.

The free flow of arms entering and leaving Thailand has irked
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who recently announced that
shady arms dealers were selling arms and ammunitions frivolously
with little consideration to regulations, law and order.

Thaksin pointed to the recent arrest of three Sri Lankan men
in Southern Thailand for possession of weapons that were destined
for the Tamil Tigers rebels.

Although the sticky topic of arms smuggling has not resulted
in any souring of relations between Thailand and Indonesia,
nevertheless it is an ongoing issue.

During his visit in May 2001, Thaksin made a similar pledge to
tackle the problem of arms smuggling to then-president
Abdurrahman Wahid.

Thaksin's 2001 trip came just days after Thai police in
Songkhla nabbed two Army sergeants who were caught hauling in two
pickup trucks containing 48 landmines, 35 sticks of TNT, 60 M67
hand-grenades and more then 15,000 rounds for Ak47 and M16
automatic rifles. A similar seizure was made just off the coast
of Satun in July last year, when police arrested two suspects on
a fishing boat carrying 68 AK47s, five handguns and ammunition
bound for the rebels in Aceh.

Surakiart urged the Indonesian government to provide more
information about the reports of arms smuggling.

A GAM member has admitted the rebels acquired some weapons
from brokers based in Thailand in exchange for marijuana, one of
the major cash crops for the separatist army.

With the launch of the military operation in Aceh at midnight
of Monday last week, which is aimed at "crushing" the separatists
once and for all, Jakarta has increased its efforts to prevent
the smuggling of more weapons to the province.

The Indonesian Navy has deployed 12 warships to secure the sea
borders of Aceh, to prevent arms smuggling and the possible
escape of GAM members to neighboring countries.

During his meeting with Megawati, Surakiart also conveyed Thai
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's support for Indonesias
decision to launch war in Aceh. "We express our support,
political support, for the policy of the Indonesian government
because we do not support the separatist movement," Surakiart
said.

The decision marked a turn around from the role that the
military had taken. Thailand's Maj. Gen. Thanongsak Tuvinum, who
blamed the breakdown of peace on both sides, was leading an
international monitoring team, 43 of whom were Thai soldiers,
under a peace deal brokered in December last year.

Thanongsak and the rest of the foreign troops monitoring the
cease-fire deal were out of Aceh just days before the all-out
offensive against GAM began.