Date: 10 June 2003

Thailand has detained three Thai Muslims they suspect were planning to attack western embassies and tourist spots in the country.

According to Thai police, the three men detained in Narathiwat province, south of Thailand on Tuesday were arrested while planning to commit attacks in the tourist attractions of Pattya and Phuket as well as foreign embassies in the capital Bangkok. The three men are reported to have links with regional terrorism network Jemaah Islamiah (JI) that is processing its mission in Singapore as well.

This issue of regional terrorism is supposed to be one of the prominent parts of the meeting agenda of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to be attended by US Secretary of State Collin Powell next week.

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