Thai PM dismisses security concerns over arms seizure

BANGKOK, Dec 16 (TNA) – Thailand’s Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Wednesday stood firm that the country is obliged as a member of the United Nations to carry out its duty over the Saturday seizure of war weapons, dismissing criticisms that such an action put Thailand at risk of becoming a terrorist target.

“The operation was the result of a joint cooperation among intelligence agencies of many countries. The UN is duty-bound to carry out such an action and what Thailand has done is in accordance with the received information,” the Thai prime minister said.

Mr Abhisit commented following criticism that Thailand could become the target of transnational terrorism after Thai police impounded the Russian-built Georgian  Ilyushin IL-76 aircraft Saturday and discovered 35 tonnes of explosives, rocket-propelled grenades and components for surface-to-air missiles.

He brushed aside security concerns over the action, saying other countries would have done the same thing as Thailand and that this country could not afford to allow itself being caught in the middle of the trouble.

Thailand’s National Security Council (NSC) on Tuesday asserted that the weapons were not involved with Thai affairs and there is no indication on links with foreign terrorism, neither the Sri Lankan Tamil Tiger Elam nor the al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

The Thai prime minister reasserted that the weapons seizure complied with the United Nations’ resolution and that the world community gained benefit from this operation.

“If Thailand turns a blind eye and let the weapons slip through our security net, that will certainly cause a heavy damage to Thailand.” Mr Abhisit said, “What we have done is proven to be beneficial to the whole world as Thailand is a good member of the UN.”

The United Nations Security Council resolution number 1874 (2009) banned North Korea from exporting any weapons was imposed in June after the reclusive communist regime conducted a nuclear test and test-fired missiles.

He also reiterated that no reward was offered to Thailand for the arrest as earlier claimed by the Opposition Puea Thai Party.

Concerned officials must thoroughly examine the impounded weapons and will later determine how to handle them, Mr Abhisit added.

Thailand will report to the UN and related agencies over additional expenses in storing the weapons, while the country may use some and some will be destroyed.

Prime Minister Abhisit conceded that the seller and buyer of the weapons remains unknown, and there is no evidence to prove that Russian arms dealer Victor Bout (now being held in Thailand) is involved in the arms smuggling.

Initial reports said the plane was flown from the United Arab Emirates to Don Mueang airport in the Thai capital last Wednesday and landed without any cargo for a refuelling stop, then continued on to North Korean capital of Pyongyang.

It left for the North Korean capital and returned to Bangkok again on Saturday for a scheduled refuelling before flying on to Sri Lanka.

Members of the crew, one from Belarus and four from Kazakhstan, were charged with illegal arms possession, while the cache was transported in military trucks to a depot in Thailand’s northern province of Nakhon Sawan. (TNA)