Protesters rally against Singapore in Thailand

The Straits Times, February 23, 2007


BANGKOK - Around 200 people rallied against Singapore in northeastern Thailand on Friday in the first such protest outside Bangkok.

The protest was organised by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), the pressure group behind last year's street demonstrations which led to the ousting of premier Thaksin Shinawatra in a September coup, police said.

The demonstrators marched to a military airfield in Udon Thani province northeast of Bangkok, demanding that the air force review a Thaksin-era pact allowing Singapore's military to use the site.

It was the first anti-Singapore protest outside the capital Bangkok amid a spat between the two countries after Mr Thaksin, who has been living in exile since the coup, visited Singapore last month.

During his trip, Thaksin met a top Singaporean government official, prompting Thailand to suspend a civil service exchange programme in protest.

Bilateral ties had already been strained when Mr Thaksin's family sold a 49-per cent stake in Thai telecom giant Shin Corp - founded by the ex-premier - tax-free to Singapore firm Temasek in 2006.

The deal angered the Thai public and led to months of street protests which prompted the military coup.

The sale also handed Temasek control of Shin Satellite, Thailand's only satellite operator, prompting calls from coup leader General Sonthi Boonyaratglin for a return of 'national assets'.

Gen Sonthi has also voiced fears that Singapore would use the Shin satellites to spy on Thailand, and has ordered imilitary officials to use walkie-talkies instead of cell phones to prevent espionage. -- AFP