THAILAND: PM denies secret prison allegations

Prime minister addresses 'Washington Post' report, calls it "old" and "groundless"

Bangkok Post
Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva insisted on Tuesday morning that there was no secret prison for torturing terrorists in Thailand as reported by The Washington Post newspaper.

Mr Abhisit said there was no cooperation between the Thai government and the US in setting up a secret prison as alleged.

"It's an old story and it is totally groundless as this government has never resorted to the use of violent means," Mr Abhisit said. The report would not affect the summit between Asean and its dialog partners being held in Phuket.

The report in Sunday's edition of The Washington Post about CIA interrogations of suspected terrorists in 2002 mentions secret prisons in Thailand.

The prime minister said the report would have no impact on his scheduled meeting with US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton at the Government House at 5pm on Tuesday.

Clinton is stopping in Bangkok on her way to a regional security forum in Phuket, where she was scheduled to sign the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in South-East Asia. The signing of the treaty would make the US one of the last allies of the Asean nations to do so.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban also dismissed the allegation about the secret prison, saying that the report was groundless.

Mr Suthep said it was suspicious that the report surfaced during the Asean meeting in Phuket.

Date Posted: 7/21/2009