Thailand denies reports on LTTE arms smuggling bases
[28 Mar 2000]

Thailand on Monday denied reports that Tamil Tiger bases in the country run arms and drugs smuggling operations.

  The denial followed a report on Sunday by “The Island” newspaper which quoted a Lloyd's List report as saying the LTTE were operating a base at a Thai Island near the Southern tourist resort of Phuket.

  "It is not true that the separatist group uses Thailand as a base for arms smuggling," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Don Pramudwinai.

  According to Mr. Pramudwinai, Thailand and Sri Lanka had exchanged regular intelligence information on Tiger activities here.

  The report revealed that the base had been established in Thailand after the Tigers were forced out of neighboring Myanmar.

  The Lloyd's List went on to report that the LTTE was operating some 11 vessels deployed for gun running in addition to legitimate commercial freight operations.

The shipping new publication said that the LTTE ships were also known to have carried heroin consignments that ended up in the developed world.

  Thailand last year pledged to help Sri Lanka cut arms flows to the terrorists through Southeast Asia.

  According to intelligence sources the LTTE is active in acquiring arms in the region where they are available relatively cheaply and easily.

  The financial funding for such massive purchases are being filtered from the LTTE organisation fronts based in the Western and European countries, which have caused concern among the authorities of those countries.  

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