By Pei Hu
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BANGKOK, Thailand – On Wednesday, Thailand’s army general Anupong Paochinda denied allegations of secret United States prisons in Thailand. General Anupong told reporters, “I can say 1 million percent that a secret jail like this has not existed in Thailand.”

Thai officials have been denying the existence of Washington prisons in Thailand for years, specifically in Udon Thani, a US airbase from the Vietnam War era. Other military bases were also suspected to be detention centers to hold and interrogate suspects. The speculation of secret prisons was renewed after the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) confirmed it has destroyed 92 tapes of interviews with Al-Qaeda suspects.

After the 9/11 attacks, Thailand offered the use of its military bases in the US. Last week, the CIA confirmed that the tapes were held in Thailand and were destroyed 4 years ago. The US Justice Department has admitted that the tapes were destroyed on the orders of CIA head Jose A Rodriquez. The tapes allegedly contained footage of the interrogation and torture of key Al-Qaeda suspects at a Thai military base.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has been fighting a campaign against the CIA to expose the mistreatment of suspects by extraordinary rendition programs. A BBC correspondent in Thailand reported that as the ACLU proceeds its case against the CIA, more details of Thailand’s involvement will emerge.

In 2003 Thailand was rewarded the status of a major non-NATO ally after it helped in the capture of Hambali, the head of Al-Qaeda’s regional affiliate. However, US-Thai relations have been strained after the 2006 military coup and trade disputes.

For more information, please see:

BBC – Thai Military Deny Secret US Jail– 4 March 2009

Electric New Paper – Documents Show US Has Secret Prisons in Thailand– 6 March 2009

Top News – Thai Army Chief Denies Existence of Secret American Prison– 4 March 2009