Here's something posted by Billybong. I think Mr georgie should
be sacked!!! That guy is FM not to maintain good relationships, but
making enemies siah.
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Thai FM warned S'pore over meeting Thaksin
Foreign minister Nitya Pibulsonggram says he informed S'pore
counterpart George Yeo at Cebu summit that planned meeting with DPM
Jayakumar was unacceptable
The Nation
Jan 20, 2007
Thai Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram said yesterday that he
had personally warned his Singaporean counterpart George Yeo that
there would be "reactions" from Thailand if former prime minister
Thaksin Shinawatra was received by Singapore's Deputy Prime
Minister S Jayakumar during his visit to Singapore last week.
Mr Nitya said that after having been informed of Mr Thaksin's
pending visit to Singapore, the Thai Foreign Ministry notified
Singapore "at least three times" that the treatment to be accorded
Thaksin was "unacceptable"; to the Thai Government.
Speaking to a group of senior editors during their lunch meeting
with Prime Minister General Sura-yud Chulanont at Baan
Phitsanu-loke, Mr Nitya said his warning to Minister George Yeo
during the Asean summit meeting in Cebu, the Philip-pines, had been
unmistakable.
"I told him: 'We cannot accept the fact that Thaksin is going to be
received by Singapore's deputy prime minister'," Nitya said. "I
emphasised that it was something unacceptable." The Thai foreign
minister said he also warned Yeo "there would be reactions" from
Thailand if Mr Jayakumar received Thaksin.
Mr Nitya was apparently trying to counter media reports that the
Foreign Ministry had not been forceful enough in impressing on the
Singaporeans how serious the consequences of such meeting would
be.
Despite Thailand's protest, the Singaporean government went ahead
and arranged a meeting between Mr Thaksin and Mr Jayakumar which
subsequently prompted the Thai Foreign Ministry to retaliate by
suspending all high-level meetings with Singapore, including a
ministerial dialogue scheduled later this month. The invitation to
the Singaporean foreign minister to attend the dialogue was also
withdrawn.
Mr Nitya said that while other countries were sensitive to the Thai
Government's stand on Thaksin, Singapore had made itself an
exception.
"It was a slap in the face to Thailand and tantamount to
recognising the former government," said the Thai FM.
He added that that during his conversation with Mr Yeo, he had also
reminded his Singaporean counterpart of President SR Nathan's
recent pledge to General Surayud that Singapore would not do
anything to "betray" the trust and understanding between the two
countries.
"I looked Yeo in the eyes and reminded him that he had been there
when President Nathan said that," Mr Nitya said.
Asked how the two countries would repair the damage from the row,
Mr Nitya said the Foreign Ministry would assess the situation "on a
daily basis" before deciding what to do next.
"But if you are asking me if I am going to fly to Singapore
tomorrow, the answer is no," he added.
An informed source close to Surayud said that during their meeting
in Cebu Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing had told the Thai
leader that China was very uneasy about Mr Thaksin's presence and
activities in Beijing, where he spent most of his time after London
following his ouster from power in the Sept 19 coup.
Mr Li also assured Gen Surayud and Mr Nitya that Beijing would not
allow the former Thai leader to engage in any activities that would
displease the Thai government.
"Li also assured Surayud and Nitya that no Chinese official had met
Thaksin during his stay in China," said the source.
The source said the Chinese understood the situation very
well.
"When Khun Nitya tried to explain at length to Li what Thaksin
shouldn't be allowed to do while in China, the Chinese foreign
minister even helped him to get straight to the point, asking him:
'So you want him to do nothing damaging to his own country, is that
right'?" the source said.
Meanwhile, Gen Surayud said that former prime minister Thaksin was
welcome to return to Thailand but only when the "terms" had been
worked out. "He can return, but first we have to talk about certain
conditions," he said, without elaborating.
The General earlier said that Mr Thaksin should only return to
Thailand after a new government came to power following a general
election.
He also insisted that the Thai Foreign Ministry's decision to
suspend all high-level contacts with Singapore in retaliation for
Thaksin's recent visit to the island state during which he met Mr
Jayakumar was appropriate and necessary "to let Singapore know how
Thai people feel".
But when asked for comment on the claim by General Sonthi
Boonyaratglin, chairman of the Council for National Security, that
Singapore had been eavesdropping on Thailand's communication
channels, Surayud said it was only a "technical matter".
"If you ask them, they will of course deny it," he said.
On Thaksin's ongoing tour of the region and media interviews, the
prime minister said his government had no objection as long as he
was not accorded recognition by host governments the way he had
been in Singapore.
In a related development, Singaporean Ambassador to Thailand Peter
Chan met Interior Minister Aree Wongsearaya but played down the
meeting as "a normal courtesy call".
"Mr Chan said Singapore would continue to work with Thailand to
strengthen their longstanding good relations and looked forward to
an improvement in relations," said a statement from the Singaporean
Embassy in Bangkok.
Meanwhile, Mr Thaksin arrived in Japan late on Thursday on a
private jet from Beijing. He is expected to continue with his
attack on the government in Bangkok and reportedly will meet
business leaders.
Mr Thaksin played down the trip, telling waiting reporters there
was no pressing reason for his visit.
"Now is a time for me to relax, get together with my family and see
my old friends,'' Thaksin was quoted by the Associated Press as
saying upon arrival at Narita International Airport outside
Tokyo.
Japanese officials reportedly said they were aware of Mr Thaksin's
visit but had no plans to meet the former leader.
Tokyo University spokeswoman Kayoko Hayashi dismissed media reports
that Thaksin was planning to deliver a speech at the university and
receive an honorary degree.
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Unfortunately, our govt apparently decided that it was a
'trivial' matter and permitted it to go ahead despite the warning
signs.
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S'pore FM George Yeo confirms Thai warning over Thaksin's
visit
But he assured his Thai counterpart that the former premier's
meeting with DPM Jayakumar was "completely social and
private".
AsiaOne
Jan 20, 2007
Singapore's Foreign Minister George Yeo, who is currently in
Calcutta, has confirmed that Thai Foreign Minister Nitya
Pibulsonggram spoke to him "two to three times" in Cebu about
former Thai Prime Minister's visit to Singapore.
A spokesman for the Foreign Minister, responding to the Mr Nitya's
comments reported in The Nation today, said: "Foreign Minister
George Yeo said that he had the highest respect for Foreign
Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram.
"Minister Yeo said that while he understood the Thai Government's
concern, he also sought Minister Nitya's understanding of the
Singapore Government's position.
"Minister Yeo assured Minister Nitya that Dr Thaksin would have no
official meeting in Singapore and that his meeting with Deputy
Prime Minister S. Jayakumar would be completely social and
private."
Mr Thaksin, who has been living in exile since the coup, said in an
interview on CNN this morning that he came to Singapore to play
golf and meet old friends.
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