ID :
142606
Sat, 09/18/2010 - 18:12
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Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/142606
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PM Abhisit explains police general's promotion to Saudi envoy
BANGKOK, Sept 18 -- Saudi Arabia and Thailand on Saturday pledged to "work and resolve problems together" to mend their bilateral relations which further deteriorated following the recent appointment of a ranking police officer who had been under suspicion of involvement in the case, according to Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.
Mr Abhisit's remarks followed his meeting with Saudi Charge d'Affaires in Thailand Nabil Hussein Ashri earlier in the day. The meeting was also attended by Thai Foreign Affairs
Minister Kasit Piromya.
"Using documents to clarify the recent appointment of Provincial Police Region 5 Commander Pol Lt-Gen Somkid Boonthanom as Thailand's new assistant national police chief to Saudi Arabia was insufficient and that was why I invited him for personal talks," the Thai premier said.
Mr Abhisit and Mr Ashri agreed that relations between the two countries are on the road to recovery and that both sides would work together to resolve problems, he said.
The premier said he explained to Mr Ashri regarding the Thai laws which cleared Gen Somkid for his alleged involvement in the disappearance of Saudi businessman Mohammad al-Ruwaili
in 1990 before the officer's promotion.
It would "take time" for Saudi Arabia to understand the entire situation due to several complicated Thai laws, he said.
"I hope that everything should be settled and that he (Mr Ashri) would forward information and explain to his government," Mr Abhisit said.
Relations between the two countries turned sour in the late 1980s when Kriangkrai Techamong, a Thai worker employed in the palace of a Saudi prince, stole jewellery from the palace and escaped to Thailand.
The Thai police retrieved some of the stolen items and returned them to the Saudi Arabian authorities. However, the centrepiece jewel, the "Blue Diamond", was later found to have been replaced with an artificial stone.
Although a Thai police general is in prison for his involvement in the scandal, the overall case remains unresolved, including the murder of several Saudi diplomats as well as Mr al-Ruwaili's disappearance, resulting in the downgrading of Saudi diplomatic relations with Thailand to the charge d'affaires level.
Gen Somkid has been the prime suspect in the premeditated murder of Mr al-Ruwaili, who was believed to have held vital information on the murder of four Saudi diplomats in Bangkok.
(MCOT online news)
Mr Abhisit's remarks followed his meeting with Saudi Charge d'Affaires in Thailand Nabil Hussein Ashri earlier in the day. The meeting was also attended by Thai Foreign Affairs
Minister Kasit Piromya.
"Using documents to clarify the recent appointment of Provincial Police Region 5 Commander Pol Lt-Gen Somkid Boonthanom as Thailand's new assistant national police chief to Saudi Arabia was insufficient and that was why I invited him for personal talks," the Thai premier said.
Mr Abhisit and Mr Ashri agreed that relations between the two countries are on the road to recovery and that both sides would work together to resolve problems, he said.
The premier said he explained to Mr Ashri regarding the Thai laws which cleared Gen Somkid for his alleged involvement in the disappearance of Saudi businessman Mohammad al-Ruwaili
in 1990 before the officer's promotion.
It would "take time" for Saudi Arabia to understand the entire situation due to several complicated Thai laws, he said.
"I hope that everything should be settled and that he (Mr Ashri) would forward information and explain to his government," Mr Abhisit said.
Relations between the two countries turned sour in the late 1980s when Kriangkrai Techamong, a Thai worker employed in the palace of a Saudi prince, stole jewellery from the palace and escaped to Thailand.
The Thai police retrieved some of the stolen items and returned them to the Saudi Arabian authorities. However, the centrepiece jewel, the "Blue Diamond", was later found to have been replaced with an artificial stone.
Although a Thai police general is in prison for his involvement in the scandal, the overall case remains unresolved, including the murder of several Saudi diplomats as well as Mr al-Ruwaili's disappearance, resulting in the downgrading of Saudi diplomatic relations with Thailand to the charge d'affaires level.
Gen Somkid has been the prime suspect in the premeditated murder of Mr al-Ruwaili, who was believed to have held vital information on the murder of four Saudi diplomats in Bangkok.
(MCOT online news)
