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.