Thai PM: CIA’s interrogations in Thailand, an internal USA matter

[Lite Beer]

Thai PM: CIA’s interrogations in Thailand, an internal USA matter

BANGKOK, 13 December 2014 (NNT) – The Prime Minister of Thailand has commented on the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence’s report on a rumored CIA detention complex in Thailand, saying its an internal matter for the US and is unrelated to the Thai government.

The Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was addressing the public regarding the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence’s report on the Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) country interrogation site list, that includes Thailand as the location of a CIA detention center involving torturing activities. The Prime Minister was speaking after returning from the ASEAN - Republic of South Korea summit in Busan, South Korea.

He said that he has been informed about the issue and has ordered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to clarify with the public that this has nothing to do with Thai authorities as it is an internal matter of the United States.

The Prime Minister also asked all sides not to demand involvement from Thailand as the current situation in the country is peaceful.

-- NNT 2014-12-13

[thesetat2013]

First denial, then rejection. Now they claim mai pan rai. It doesn't affect them.

[toonsai]

And the murder of 2 young UK citizens in Thailand, is it also an internal UK matter?

Edited December 14, 2014 by toonsai

[ColdSingha]

lol, vassal state and has been since vietnam war days

[HeijoshinCool]

The American government torturing third parties on Thai soil is an "internal USA matter."

Of course it is.

[englishoak]

The Prime Minister of Thailand has commented on the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence’s report on a rumored CIA detention complex in Thailand, saying its an internal matter for the US and is unrelated to the Thai government.

Unrelated to Thailand ?

So lets just recap on that, what takes place on Thai soil by a foreign power is unrelated to the Thai Government and nothing to do with the Thai authorities ?

Okaaaay that works as an excuse.... not.

[givenall]

So everything a foreign country does in Thailand soil is non of business of Thai government

This should be new TAT tourism slogan

[BigBadGeordie]

I think you will find that the Dear Leader is correct, I understand that a spokesperson for the Thai Ministry of Disinformation will confirm, later today, that somebody else said that these individuals " arrived by teleportation direct to a US diplomatic site, which is US Sovereign territory and left via the same route. Therefore they technically never entered Thailand".

So I guess it is an internal US issue.

[jayjayjayjay]

The American government torturing third parties on Thai soil is an "internal USA matter."

Of course it is.

It wasnt done on Thai soil, get a little knowledge about overseas missions status.. Get my point. Look no future than CM!!!!!

[Tatsujin]

So, we've previously had 2 x Thai "officials" that have completely denied this ever happened, and now have the PM announcing (tacitly) that it did happen, but is nothing to do with Thailand.

Way to go guys to all get on the same page. You might want to all agree on your "stance" BEFORE announcing anything next time.

I never cease to be amazed at how "the people" here simply accept this kind of thing without any huge outcry, or if they even noticed or care.

I'll try this tack next time I'm stopped for a bogus drug test on Sukhumvit:

"Hey officer, you can't do this, it's an internal UK affair and nothing to do with Thailand!"

[DaffyDuck]

Didn't take long for all the usual haters to make this about Prayuth.

[Tatsujin]

Didn't take long for all the usual haters to make this about Prayuth.

Not surprising really that it's "about" the self-appointed Thai PM when he's the one making a public statement about questionable activities that are supposed to have occurred in Thailand.

Who should we make it about instead? How about Thaksin? Suthep? Abhisit? Santa? GrumpyCat?

It's NOT only an internal USA matter "if" it actually did occur in Thailand as the CIA have publicly stated, and knowing the public (and other oversight committee's) spotlight the CIA and other security agencies are under currently, are they likely to have made it up for some reason? Indeed, these "claims" have been reported many times before in preceding years, and unless I'm mistaken they were NOT denied at the time because Thailand and the USA were best of buddies at the time.

Now there's been a falling out, and Thailand/China are the new best buddies in Asia, replacing the USA. Read into that whatever you want.

[bangkokfrog]

The Prime Minister also asked all sides not to demand involvement from Thailand as the current situation in the country is peaceful.

What on Earth has "the country is peaceful" got to do with demanding involvement from the government in investigating torture on its soil? Does the PM have any idea about what he has said?

[lildragon]

Didn't take long for all the usual haters to make this about Prayuth.

Well yes. Why doesn't he at last fess up instead off ordering first denials and then a half arsed admission? This man is Mr Super transparency right? Pff! Edited December 14, 2014 by lildragon

[Monkeysee]

I think the majority of people in Thailand know very little of what is actually happening in their country. Only the wealthy people who are stealing from everyone else know backwards the place is.

[klauskunkel]

Anything that happens inside a sovereign country's borders is that country's internal matter. Whether they are aware of it or not, whether they consented to it or not, whether it is done by Thais or foreigners, it is an internal Thai matter, if it happens inside Thailand.

You want to treat it as a US matter, then you should have conferred embassy status on the facility (oops, there is your loophole)

Edited December 14, 2014 by klauskunkel

[Pib]

Yeap, when it comes to foreign country operations in another country I expect it comes down to being able to use a embassy/consulate/mission status loophole in international law and the host country basically goes into the Three Monkeys state of mind.

[simple1]

The Prime Minister also asked all sides not to demand involvement from Thailand as the current situation in the country is peaceful.

What on Earth has "the country is peaceful" got to do with demanding involvement from the government in investigating torture on its soil? Does the PM have any idea about what he has said?

The issue of secret CIA torture / rendition sites in Thailand has over the years been reported a number of times in the media.

IMO this time round the PM is trying to distance Thailand from activities undertaken by US govt agencies on its soil. Not drag to the fore any dialogue that has the potential increased risk for targeting of Thais by foreign terrorist organisation/s.

[Chao Lao Beach]

<deleted> ???

The Prime Minister also asked all sides not to demand involvement from Thailand as the current situation in the country is peaceful.

[terryp]

what a dumb fool this guy is THAILAND is a Sovereign Country .....NOT an outpost of the US,, its about time all this came out into the open...they even used the cells in DM airport but no one has mentioned that yet

[DaffyDuck]

Didn't take long for all the usual haters to make this about Prayuth.

Well yes. Why doesn't he at last fess up instead off ordering first denials and then a half arsed admission? This man is Mr Super transparency right? Pff!

Because, at the end of the day, NO ONE CARES, and this issue has little to nothing to do with the actual, pressing, issues of the country.

It is, indeed, an internal US problem, one that doesn't concern Thailand.

[arrowsdawdle]

The American government torturing third parties on Thai soil is an "internal USA matter."

Of course it is.

No Thai would do such a thing. Suppose this internal U.S. matter happened on Koh Tao?

[Chris Lawrence]

The military knows what went on?

[Krataiboy]

Of course there are going to be official denials from the current regime - just as there were from Thaksin Shinawatra when he was giving the nod to rendition as Thailand's PM. The evidence that Thailand is and has been complicit in torture and use of so-called "advanced interrogation" techniques against "terrorists" fingered by the US is overwhelming, as a Google search will quickly reveal.

Try this link as an eye opening starter from that well-known bunch of conspiracy theorists called the BBC: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-30401100

[GerdT]

One should have thought that the current government would have jumped at the conclusions as far as the US report is concerned. Since it covers for Thailand the period from 2002 to 2006 one could lay the blame for all the bad things that happened at the appropriate door (getting my drift) without having to declare mea culpa, mea culpa mea maxima culpa.

[asmodeus]

Thailand is Pathetic

[DaffyDuck]

Thailand is Pathetic

Yet, aren't you in Thailand, while writing this? Quite ironic, in a pathetic sorta way, if that were the case. Ditto for everyone else that is so free with their condemnation of how terrible Thailand is. Oh, if only the hookers weren't so cheap, you guys might actually leave (or not come back all the time).

So, remind me again - what is it that's pathetic?

[BigBadGeordie]

Thailand is Pathetic

Thank you for that well thought out eliqeunt post, it benfited the discussion no end. Edited December 14, 2014 by BigBadGeordie

[GerdT]

I think the majority of people in Thailand know very little of what is actually happening in their country. Only the wealthy people who are stealing from everyone else know backwards the place is.

Reading the international press it seems that the populations in the European countries and in the US and Canada in similar positions. But what I have noticed is the fact that when it comes to Thailand expats are up in arms. Maybe we should take a closer look at the UK, US, Germany, Italy, Poland, Sweden etc before starting to throw stones.

[BSJ]

I don't understand why some of you people are 'getting your nose out of joint' at what may or may not have happened to scumbags that would have slit your throat or blown your brains out given half a chance if they thought it would further their cause.