Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BANGKOK247
2007-01-12 04:43:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Bangkok
Cable title:
THAI MFA REQUESTS HELP WITH ABDUCTION IN SOMALIA
how-toVZCZCXYZ0008 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHBK #0247/01 0120443 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 120443Z JAN 07 FM AMEMBASSY BANGKOK TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4000 INFO RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA PRIORITY 0488 RUEHAE/AMEMBASSY ASMARA PRIORITY 0004 RUEHDJ/AMEMBASSY DJIBOUTI PRIORITY 0014 RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI PRIORITY 0267
UNCLAS BANGKOK 000247
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KCRM TH SO
SUBJECT: THAI MFA REQUESTS HELP WITH ABDUCTION IN SOMALIA
UNCLAS BANGKOK 000247
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KCRM TH SO
SUBJECT: THAI MFA REQUESTS HELP WITH ABDUCTION IN SOMALIA
1. (U) THIS IS AN ACTION REQUEST. Please see para 3.
2. (SBU) The Thai MFA has requested USG assistance in
pressing Somali authorities to work with the Thai Government
to secure the release of a Thai citizen held hostage in
Somalia. On January 12, we spoke with Panyarak Poolthup, MFA
Deputy Director General of the Department of South Asia,
Middle East and African Affairs. Panyarak provided us with a
non-paper describing the apparent linkage by Somali
authorities of the hostage's fate with that of three Somalis
held by Thai authorities after the Somalis hijacked a fishing
vessel in April 2005. After reading the non-paper, we
explained that the USG did not approve of hostage-taking.
Nevertheless, this appeared to be a bilateral issue between
Thailand and Somalia. We promised to forward the MFA's
request to Washington, and to relay promptly to the MFA any
reply we might receive.
3. (U) ACTION REQUESTED: Embassy requests that the Department
provide a reply for the MFA, explaining what discussions, if
any, we might have with Somali authorities to address Thai
concerns about the seeming linkage of their hostage's fate
with that of Somali fishing vessel hijackers.
4. (SBU) The text of the MFA non-paper follows.
BEGIN TEXT
Abduction of a Thai national in Somalia
On 21 October 2006, Mr. Sumanas Maneenin, a Thai national
working as the coordinator for "Sirichai Fisheries," a Thai
fishing company in Somalia, was abducted from his office in
the Humuse Hotel in Bosaso, Puntland State of Somalia. Mr.
Sumanas was later allowed to communicate by telephone to his
office, saying that he had been abducted by a group of
militia of the Mudug clan who are demanding the release of 3
Somalis serving jail terms in Thailand in exchange for his
release. Mr. Sumanas reported that he had been transported
to and was being held at an undisclosed location near the
city of Galkoyo.
The 3 Somali offenders referred to by Mr. Sumanas were
captured on the high seas with the help of the US Navy in
April 2005 after they hijacked a Thai fishing vessel on which
they were serving as security guards and took the Thai crew
as hostages for ransom. The 3 Somalis were subsequently
sentenced by the Thai criminal court to 10 years jail
sentences. The case is still pending in the Thai court of
appeals.
In response to the abduction of Mr. Sumanas, the Thai Embassy
in Nairobi has contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
the Transitional Federal Republic of Somalia to request
assistance in solving the hostage situation. The
Transitional Federal Government of Somalia's position is that
the two countries need to conclude and sign the "Agreement on
the Transferring of Offenders and on Cooperation in the
Enforcement of Penal Sentences," and use the framework of
this Agreement to immediately remand the 3 Somali prisoners
into Somali custody. This is implicitly a "precondition"
before proceeding with securing the release of Mr. Sumanas
from the militia.
The Royal Thai Government cannot accept linkage of the
illegal kidnapping of a Thai citizen to the case of the 3
Somali citizens who have been convicted of a serious crime
and are currently subjected to the judicial process in
Thailand. The two issues are unequivocably separate matters.
The Royal Thai Government has previously expressed
willingness to cooperate with the Transitional Federal
Government of Somalia on the process to conclude the draft
Agreement on the Transferring of Offenders and on Cooperation
in the Enforcement of Penal Sentences, and is currently
waiting for a response from the Somali side to the Thai
proposed draft of the said Agreement. The process of
transferring of offenders requires the jurisdiction process
to be completed and the offenders to serve a minimum of
one-third of their jail terms in Thailand before a transfer
can be requested. This is the process that would apply in
order to repatriate the 3 Somalis back to serve their prison
sentences in their homeland.
The Thai Government, therefore, wishes to seek support in
encouraging the Government of the Transitional Federal
Republic of Somalia to work with the Royal Thai Government in
accordance with international norms and practices to secure
the immediate and unconditional release of the abducted Thai
citizen.
END TEXT
BOYCE
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KCRM TH SO
SUBJECT: THAI MFA REQUESTS HELP WITH ABDUCTION IN SOMALIA
1. (U) THIS IS AN ACTION REQUEST. Please see para 3.
2. (SBU) The Thai MFA has requested USG assistance in
pressing Somali authorities to work with the Thai Government
to secure the release of a Thai citizen held hostage in
Somalia. On January 12, we spoke with Panyarak Poolthup, MFA
Deputy Director General of the Department of South Asia,
Middle East and African Affairs. Panyarak provided us with a
non-paper describing the apparent linkage by Somali
authorities of the hostage's fate with that of three Somalis
held by Thai authorities after the Somalis hijacked a fishing
vessel in April 2005. After reading the non-paper, we
explained that the USG did not approve of hostage-taking.
Nevertheless, this appeared to be a bilateral issue between
Thailand and Somalia. We promised to forward the MFA's
request to Washington, and to relay promptly to the MFA any
reply we might receive.
3. (U) ACTION REQUESTED: Embassy requests that the Department
provide a reply for the MFA, explaining what discussions, if
any, we might have with Somali authorities to address Thai
concerns about the seeming linkage of their hostage's fate
with that of Somali fishing vessel hijackers.
4. (SBU) The text of the MFA non-paper follows.
BEGIN TEXT
Abduction of a Thai national in Somalia
On 21 October 2006, Mr. Sumanas Maneenin, a Thai national
working as the coordinator for "Sirichai Fisheries," a Thai
fishing company in Somalia, was abducted from his office in
the Humuse Hotel in Bosaso, Puntland State of Somalia. Mr.
Sumanas was later allowed to communicate by telephone to his
office, saying that he had been abducted by a group of
militia of the Mudug clan who are demanding the release of 3
Somalis serving jail terms in Thailand in exchange for his
release. Mr. Sumanas reported that he had been transported
to and was being held at an undisclosed location near the
city of Galkoyo.
The 3 Somali offenders referred to by Mr. Sumanas were
captured on the high seas with the help of the US Navy in
April 2005 after they hijacked a Thai fishing vessel on which
they were serving as security guards and took the Thai crew
as hostages for ransom. The 3 Somalis were subsequently
sentenced by the Thai criminal court to 10 years jail
sentences. The case is still pending in the Thai court of
appeals.
In response to the abduction of Mr. Sumanas, the Thai Embassy
in Nairobi has contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
the Transitional Federal Republic of Somalia to request
assistance in solving the hostage situation. The
Transitional Federal Government of Somalia's position is that
the two countries need to conclude and sign the "Agreement on
the Transferring of Offenders and on Cooperation in the
Enforcement of Penal Sentences," and use the framework of
this Agreement to immediately remand the 3 Somali prisoners
into Somali custody. This is implicitly a "precondition"
before proceeding with securing the release of Mr. Sumanas
from the militia.
The Royal Thai Government cannot accept linkage of the
illegal kidnapping of a Thai citizen to the case of the 3
Somali citizens who have been convicted of a serious crime
and are currently subjected to the judicial process in
Thailand. The two issues are unequivocably separate matters.
The Royal Thai Government has previously expressed
willingness to cooperate with the Transitional Federal
Government of Somalia on the process to conclude the draft
Agreement on the Transferring of Offenders and on Cooperation
in the Enforcement of Penal Sentences, and is currently
waiting for a response from the Somali side to the Thai
proposed draft of the said Agreement. The process of
transferring of offenders requires the jurisdiction process
to be completed and the offenders to serve a minimum of
one-third of their jail terms in Thailand before a transfer
can be requested. This is the process that would apply in
order to repatriate the 3 Somalis back to serve their prison
sentences in their homeland.
The Thai Government, therefore, wishes to seek support in
encouraging the Government of the Transitional Federal
Republic of Somalia to work with the Royal Thai Government in
accordance with international norms and practices to secure
the immediate and unconditional release of the abducted Thai
citizen.
END TEXT
BOYCE