Thailand says ties with Malaysia on the mend

The Straits Times, January 30, 2007


BANGKOK - Malaysia's prime minister will visit Bangkok next month, Thailand said, as bilateral relations steadily improve after years of strain over separatist violence along their shared border.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will travel to the Thai capital on Feb 11 and 12, the foreign ministry announced on Tuesday.

'Prior to this government, relations between our two countries were not as satisfactory as we would like to see,' Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram told a group of foreign reporters on Monday. 'I believe we are on our way to making amends.'

Relations between the neighbours have been strained by three years of separatist violence in Thailand's Muslim-majority south, where a majority of the population is ethnic Malay.

Ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was toppled by the military in September, had periodically accused Malaysia of harbouring insurgents and of failing to cooperate in the battle against the militants.

Mr Nitya said that Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont was committed to resolving the unrest through peaceful means, despite a surge in violence in the four months since the coup.

He said the unrest, which has left more than 1,800 dead, was harder to stop because of the number of splinter militant groups operating in the area.

'There is no longer a monolothic powerhouse and chain of command,' Mr Nitya said.

The Thai foreign minister also defended Thailand's harsh reaction to an unofficial meeting between Mr Thaksin and Singapore Deputy Prime Minister S. Jayakumar during a recent visit to the city-state by the deposed prime minister.

'It's a breach of understanding among friends,' he said. 'It isn't our intention to start a rift that cannot be healed between our countries.'

Thailand cancelled a series of diplomatic meetings and launched an investigation into alleged eavesdropping by a Singapore-owned telecom - actions which Mr Nitya said were justified.

'That was perfectly called for,' he said. 'If I were to invite a person that is essentially in total opposition to what they're trying to do...I don't think that they would understand. I don't think they would look at it any differently,' he said.