Thai Govt downplays Gen Sonthi's remark over satellites

The Nation, February 17, 2007

The government downplayed on Saturday the junta leader's latest remarks, where he stated a desire to retrieve national assets, especially satellites, sold to the city state by ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Government spokesman Yongyuth Maiyalarp said Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin was just expressing his opinion.

"Gen Sonthi just expressed his opinion which I think many Thais agree. However, details have to be discussed if we really want to retrieve the satellites from Singapore to see whether it would be worthwhile. The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology will be in charge if we decide to do so," the spokesman said.


Both Yongyuth and Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram said Sonthi's remarks would not harm relations with the island state, although Nitya admitted matters were strained between the two countries.


Foreign Ministry spokesman Kitti Wasinondh said: "What Gen Sonthi said has to be taken in context. The remarks were made for that particular audience. The whole issue should just fade away."


In his speech to defence students on Friday, Sonthi said: "I want to get back the national assets that were bought for Bt140 billion, particularly the satellites."


The comments were in reference to the controversial sale of Thaksin's Shin Corp, Thailand's largest telecommunications conglomerate, to Singapore's Temasek Holdings in January last year.


"Singapore is a small country that lacks any farmland but it has rich capitalists and brokers who can buy our assets," Sonthi told military bosses and government officials in Bangkok on Friday.


"I am concerned about what was bought and I want our assets back. The satellites are one of our treasures that I really want returned. We must consider how to do this."


Singapore's foreign ministry yesterday asked Thailand to clarify Sonthi's remarks.


"The Singaporeans were surprised by the reports," a foreign ministry spokesman said, "but we should wait for our Government to clarify the remarks."


Thai-Singapore relations have strained since the sales of Shin Corp and chilled further when the deputy prime minister S Jayakumar met Thaksin in Singapore last month.


Singapore defended the decision, saying that it was simply a private lunch but Bangkok disagreed. It suspended a bilateral exchange programme and postponed high ranking visits including that of Singapore's prime minister.