Saudi ties at break point

[Flashermac]

Bangkok Post

16 Sep 2010

 

 

The government's explanation of the promotion of Somkid Boonthanom as assistant police chief will be crucial to the future of Thai-Saudi relations, Saudi Arabia's top envoy says.

 

Nabil Hussein Ashri told the Bangkok Post yesterday Riyadh remains "shocked and surprised" by Pol Lt Gen Somkid's promotion from the Police Region 5 commander to assistant police chief.

 

[color:red]Saudi Arabia does not understand how a police general who has been charged with a criminal offence and is due to go on trial can be promoted to a very senior position, Mr Ashri said.[/color]

 

Mr Ashri, invited to attend a meeting of the House committee on justice and human rights, explained the Saudi position to MPs during a three-hour session which Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban also attended.

 

Pol Lt Gen Somkid has been charged in connection with the disappearance in 1990 of Mohammad al-Ruwaili, and the Saudis fear his promotion could affect the case.

 

The Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) indicted Pol Lt Gen Somkid and four other active and former police officers in January in connection with the disappearance of the Saudi businessman. The trial is due to start on Sept 25.

 

Saudi Arabia downgraded diplomatic ties with Thailand after the jewellery theft by a worker, the murder of its diplomats in Bangkok and the disappearance of al-Ruwaili more than 20 years ago.

 

Since Pol Lt Gen Somkid's promotion early this month, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, Mr Suthep, Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya and Foreign Ministry officials hoped Riyadh would understand the decision by the Police Commission. Mr Suthep is chairman of the commission.

 

Mr Suthep had said the government would provide Riyadh with an official explanation, but that was two weeks ago, the envoy said.

 

"So far, the embassy has not yet received an explanation," he said.

 

Mr Ashri said the official Thai explanation will have a direct impact on the future of Thai-Saudi ties. "This directly affects the outcome," he said.

 

Secretary-general of the Central Islamic Committee of Thailand, Pichet Sathirachawal, said on Tuesday the Saudi embassy would consider closing down the embassy if there is no change in the Thai decision.

 

"I did not say that. Officially Riyadh decides what will happen. This is beyond the policy mandate of the embassy. My role is to report the facts and what has happened. Riyadh decides," the diplomat said.

 

Mr Ashri said he did not know what Riyadh's response would be but he did not discount the possibility of the embassy being closed.

 

The envoy said initially Riyadh was heartened by the fact that progress was being made on the case since there had been no progress in 20 years with other cases that had affected relations.

 

But Pol Lt Gen Somkid's promotion "gives the impression that the police are stronger than the government", Mr Ashri said.

 

The envoy admitted to being taken aback by public explanations and comments on the promotion by top government officials, in particular Mr Abhisit and Mr Suthep.

 

Mr Ashri said Riyadh does not want to interfere in the Thai judicial system and has not said he is guilty. The OAG has filed charges against him and it will be up to a Thai court to decide, he said.

 

Riyadh is not saying Pol Lt Gen Somkid should not be promoted, Mr Ashri said. But the commission should reinstate and promote him if the court clears him as not guilty, he added.

 

House committee chairman Pracha Prasobdee said Mr Ashri's decision to meet with the House panel yesterday obviously showed the issue is not easily over as far as the Saudi government is concerned.

 

Mr Pracha quoted the Saudi diplomat as saying the promotion was against the National Police Act, which says that an officer who is alleged to have committed a crime must be suspended from active duty. Despite the indictment, Pol Lt Gen Somkid has been allowed to continue on active duty in contravention of the act.

 

"The charge d'affaires is not satisfied [with the reason to promote Pol Lt Gen Somkid] and it could affect ties including attempts to restore full diplomatic relations," Mr Pracha said after the meeting.

 

Mr Suthep smiled and shook his head when asked what the government would do to resolve the problem.

 

A source in the Central Islamic Committee of Thailand said Riyadh took the issue very seriously.

 

But the source said closing the embassy would be the last resort. Retaliation could start with further downgrading relations with the Saudi government and recalling Mr Ashri back to the capital in protest.

 

But Saudi Arabia has already made clear its position it will not let this issue affect Thai Muslims who want to go to Mecca for the Haj.

 

 

 

Link

[TroyinEwa/Perv]

But Pol Lt Gen Somkid's promotion "gives the impression that the police are stronger than the government", Mr Ashri said.

 

Mr Pracha quoted the Saudi diplomat as saying the promotion was against the National Police Act, which says that an officer who is alleged to have committed a crime must be suspended from active duty. Despite the indictment, Pol Lt Gen Somkid has been allowed to continue on active duty in contravention of the act.

 

Mr Suthep smiled and shook his head when asked what the government would do to resolve the problem.

 

Three of the more interesting paragraphs that just reinforces that TiT. It's like children trying to run a country.

 

 

 

 

 

[shygye]

Yep, in SA the accuser of a top cop would be jail awaiting a public flogging.

[Coss]

Am I alone in the thought that there are a lot of countries that are being run by medieval teenagers, as against, more prudent mature puritan anti heterosexual idiots?

 

PUI

[Flashermac]

Bangkok Post

20 Sep 2010

 

 

Govt makes bad ties worse in Saudi affair

 

 

What could have been going through Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban's mind when he signed the promotion of Somkid Boonthanom, while expecting business as usual with Riyadh?

 

The promotion of Pol Lt Gen Somkid to the position of assistant national police chief has left relations between Saudi Arabia and Thailand hanging by a thread. They had already been in a deep freeze for years, ever since the 1989 theft of jewels from the palace of King Fahd by Thai worker Kriangkrai Techamong.

 

Riyadh downgraded its diplomatic contact with Thailand to the level of charge d'affaires. Some of the jewels were retrieved and returned, but it was found a few of the returned items were imitations.

 

The theft was followed in early 1990 by the murders of three Saudi diplomats in Bangkok. Saudi businessman Mohammad al-Ruwaili, a friend of the slain diplomats, also disappeared in the capital that year.

 

Riyadh has been waiting patiently for justice ever since - but no one has been caught and al-Ruwaili's body is still missing. Bilateral ties were brought to the edge.

 

Enter Pol Lt Gen Somkid, one of the most controversial senior figures in the crime scene who was alleged to have been involved in al-Ruwaili's disappearance.

 

While he was indicted for alleged involvement in the Saudi's disappearance, and the trial against him is ongoing, Pol Lt Gen Somkid was saved from disciplinary charges stemming from the incident by a blanket amnesty given in 2007 to all state employees.

 

This paved the way for his promotion to assistant police chief.

 

Saudi envoys have come and gone. The incumbent charge d'affaires, Nabil Hussein Ashri, took the post full of hope that the Abhisit government, which loudly promised major changes, could help resolve the issue and start thawing relations.

 

However, the Somkid promotion brought the diplomatic turbulence of 1989 back to the fore for Riyadh, and dealt what could prove to be a devastating blow to the countries' precarious ties.

 

Surely the government must feel that Pol Lt Gen Somkid's ascension in the police force must outweigh the risk of damaging ties with Riyadh.

 

Some suspect that Pol Lt Gen Somkid must have done the Democrat Party a political favour so remarkable that the government would be willing to promote him, even if it means driving Riyadh to the point where all patience is exhausted.

 

Those familiar with the issue think that closing its embassy here might be Riyadh's only option and that it could happen sooner than later.

 

The pressure on the government can only multiply. Last week, it was spooked by reports that visas granted to more than 300 haj pilgrims had been recalled to rectify a "technical glitch".

 

The embassy, the Culture Ministry and the Foreign Ministry have denied that the recall amounted to a revocation of the visas. But the report has alarmed some Thai Muslims who demand the government review the Somkid promotion.

 

Mr Ashri has been to see the police chief, spoken to a House committee and discussed the Somkid issue with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. If the "signals" he picks up from these talks are not constructive, the response could be cool indeed.

 

As Saudi Arabia celebrates its national day on Thursday, observers hope the fallout over this is not too severe.

 

Since the downgrade of relations, Thailand has lost its labour export quota to Saudi Arabia. If relations take a turn for the worst and the Saudi embassy is closed, thousands of haj pilgrims will have to go elsewhere to apply for visas to enter Saudi Arabia.

 

The political implications could be dire for the Democrats. A large section of the Muslim population lives in the South, which is the party's stronghold. Thailand's trade in the Middle East could also be hurt since Saudi Arabia is a key player in a region bound by a fraternity.

 

Riyadh is not interfering in this country's internal affairs with its outcry over the Somkid promotion. Saudi Arabia has waited two decades for justice to be done and is entitled to vent its displeasure. On the other hand, promoting someone who may or may not have had a hand in a crime goes against the grain of logic and ethics.

 

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[chilli13]

well somkid already 'stepped down' didn't he?