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There has never been a secret prison run by a United States agency in Thailand where suspected terrorists might otherwise have been held or tortured, said a high- level Thai government official on Thursday.
Prime Minister's Office Minister Suvapand Tanyuwattana categorically dismissed allegations that a secret prison, informally called a black site, had been built and run by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency somewhere in Thailand to detain and torment unlawful militants, such as suspected al-Qaida terrorists, who may have operated against the U.S. interests worldwide.
He was responding to a newly-debated report of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence which charged that a black site was secretly located in Thailand and run by the CIA to detain suspected combatants who had fought the U.S. forces overseas.
"There has been no such thing as secret prison or torture facilities in Thailand. The alleged report might probably have been misinterpreted," Suvapand said.
Such allegations had drawn attention of the Thai media several years ago but never been substantiated by any evidence so far, according to the minister.
The official said he had read the U.S. Senate committee's report and found no content, either in all or in part, which might have otherwise involved Thailand directly or indirectly in the running of any CIA black site.
"No Thai authorities were ever reported to have cooperated one way or another with any U.S. agency pertaining to the alleged existence or running of a secret prison anywhere in this country," he said.
According to Human Rights Watch, an estimated 30 countries worldwide were alleged to have facilitated CIA black sites to detain and torment suspected terrorists, including those in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
Thailand was alleged to locate one of the Asian black sites, besides Indonesia and Malaysia, according to the non-governmental organization.
The CIA-run black site was allegedly a hidden facility somewhere in the northeastern part of the country.
Alleged to have been detained at the Thai black site was al- Qaida member Abu Zubaydah, among other suspects.
Former Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra categorically dismissed such allegations as "entirely groundless" when they originally surfaced in the Thai media several years ago. Enditem
