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Subject: AFP-Power hunger Thai pig Chavalit's accusation

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Sunday, December 19 8:31 PM SGT=20
Terrorism allegations spice up end of Thai no-confidence debate
BANGKOK, Dec 19 (AFP) -=20
Thailand's political opposition claimed Sunday on the final day of a =
marathon no-confidence debate that an associate of alleged Saudi =
terrorist Osama bin Laden was operating from a Thai base.

Opposition leader and former prime minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh said =
he had evidence the unnamed suspect had funnelled arms to Myanmar =
activists who took over Yangon's embassy here in October.

"From decades of (involvement in intelligence) penetration operations I =
have obtained tapes. There is a group linked to international =
terrorists, one member of which is in Thailand," said Chavalit, a =
retired general.

"There is concrete evidence this man is wanted by a Cambodian court, and =
he has links with Osama bin Laden and he provided arms to the Myanmar =
embassy gunmen," he said.

Chavalit also said the man may be linked to a blast at an oil refinery =
earlier this month which killed seven people. Police have said the blast =
was probably an accident.

When unconfirmed reports of the alleged terrorist's presence here were =
published earlier this month they were denied by the government.

Bin Laden is accused of masterminding bombings at two US embassies in =
Africa last year.

Deputy house speaker Sopon Phetsawang declared the debate closed Sunday =
evening after the opposition presented a two-hour wrap-up of its case =
against the government.

He scheduled the vote for Monday at 10 a.m. (0300 GMT).

The no-confidence debate, which lasted five days, is the third against =
the two-year-old reform-minded administration of Prime Minister Chuan =
Leekapi and is reported in the local press to be the longest since a =
seven day debate in 1947.

Chaturon Chaiseang, secretary general of the main opposition New =
Aspiration Party, in his summary focussed on Chuan accusing him of =
incompetence.

He also lashed out at senior cabinet members Finance Minister Tarrin =
Nimmanahaeminda and Interior Minister Sanan Kachornprasart who he =
accused of economic mismanagement and corruption respectively.

"If we allow this government to continue working for one more day it =
will create immeasurable damage," he said.

"We cannot trust Tarrin, because he has not solved the (economic) =
problems and all of his measures were late," he said.

"Sanan has abused power and cannot clarify his unusual riches."

The opposition, which admits it is unlikely to win the vote has tried to =
discredit the government before elections due within the next 11 months.

The government controls 232 of the 377 seats in the House of =
Representatives.

Opposition critics have savaged the administration over its economic =
policies and the handling of the Myanmar embassy siege.

Chavalit Sunday questioned why authorities had failed to arrest the =
embassy gunmen and had instead provided them with a helicopter to reach =
the border, leading to a sharp decline in relations with Yangon.

He alleged the government had become an "international joke" amongst its =
Asian neighbours for kow towing to the West and accepting a 17.2 billion =
dollar economic bailout package from the International Monetary Fund in =
late 1997.

The bailout included strict limits on spending and required the =
government to ease conditions on foreign investment as well as privatise =
unprofitable state enterprises.

Thai Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan denied on Sunday the government was =
an international laughing stock, pointing to positive reports in the =
media.


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><B>Sunday, December 19</B> 8:31 PM SGT=20
<H2>Terrorism allegations spice up end of Thai no-confidence =
debate</H2>BANGKOK,=20
Dec 19 (AFP) -=20
<P>Thailand's political opposition claimed Sunday on the final day of a =
marathon=20
no-confidence debate that an associate of alleged Saudi terrorist Osama =
bin=20
Laden was operating from a Thai base.</P>
<P>Opposition leader and former prime minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh =
said he had=20
evidence the unnamed suspect had funnelled arms to Myanmar activists who =
took=20
over Yangon's embassy here in October.</P>
<P>"From decades of (involvement in intelligence) penetration operations =
I have=20
obtained tapes. There is a group linked to international terrorists, one =
member=20
of which is in Thailand," said Chavalit, a retired general.</P>
<P>"There is concrete evidence this man is wanted by a Cambodian court, =
and he=20
has links with Osama bin Laden and he provided arms to the Myanmar =
embassy=20
gunmen," he said.</P>
<P>Chavalit also said the man may be linked to a blast at an oil =
refinery=20
earlier this month which killed seven people. Police have said the blast =
was=20
probably an accident.</P>
<P>When unconfirmed reports of the alleged terrorist's presence here =
were=20
published earlier this month they were denied by the government.</P>
<P>Bin Laden is accused of masterminding bombings at two US embassies in =
Africa=20
last year.</P>
<P>Deputy house speaker Sopon Phetsawang declared the debate closed =
Sunday=20
evening after the opposition presented a two-hour wrap-up of its case =
against=20
the government.</P>
<P>He scheduled the vote for Monday at 10 a.m. (0300 GMT).</P>
<P>The no-confidence debate, which lasted five days, is the third =
against the=20
two-year-old reform-minded administration of Prime Minister Chuan =
Leekapi and is=20
reported in the local press to be the longest since a seven day debate =
in=20
1947.</P>
<P>Chaturon Chaiseang, secretary general of the main opposition New =
Aspiration=20
Party, in his summary focussed on Chuan accusing him of =
incompetence.</P>
<P>He also lashed out at senior cabinet members Finance Minister Tarrin=20
Nimmanahaeminda and Interior Minister Sanan Kachornprasart who he =
accused of=20
economic mismanagement and corruption respectively.</P>
<P>"If we allow this government to continue working for one more day it =
will=20
create immeasurable damage," he said.</P>
<P>"We cannot trust Tarrin, because he has not solved the (economic) =
problems=20
and all of his measures were late," he said.</P>
<P>"Sanan has abused power and cannot clarify his unusual riches."</P>
<P>The opposition, which admits it is unlikely to win the vote has tried =
to=20
discredit the government before elections due within the next 11 =
months.</P>
<P>The government controls 232 of the 377 seats in the House of=20
Representatives.</P>
<P>Opposition critics have savaged the administration over its economic =
policies=20
and the handling of the Myanmar embassy siege.</P>
<P>Chavalit Sunday questioned why authorities had failed to arrest the =
embassy=20
gunmen and had instead provided them with a helicopter to reach the =
border,=20
leading to a sharp decline in relations with Yangon.</P>
<P>He alleged the government had become an "international joke" amongst =
its=20
Asian neighbours for kow towing to the West and accepting a 17.2 billion =
dollar=20
economic bailout package from the International Monetary Fund in late =
1997.</P>
<P>The bailout included strict limits on spending and required the =
government to=20
ease conditions on foreign investment as well as privatise unprofitable =
state=20
enterprises.</P>
<P>Thai Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan denied on Sunday the government =
was an=20
international laughing stock, pointing to positive reports in the=20
media.</P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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