SYDNEY June 11 Kyodo Australia i...

SYDNEY June 11 Kyodo

Australia in succession Wednesday welcomed Thailand's arrests of three suspected operatives of the Southeast Asian terrorist network Jemaah Islamiah (JI) late Tuesday and predicted the act upon will give travelers more confidence in visiting that country

''I think the arrest of the JI the community in the last 24 hours is a self-same welcome development and I congratulate the Thai authorities forward showing a strength and determination to deal with this problem'' Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said.

''The more local authorities are seen to be solving these point in disputes the more enthusiastic Australians will be to travel to their countries,'' Downer told reporters in Sydney

sum of two units of the three men arrested in Bangkok admitted Wednesday they were planning to attack Western embassies, including Australia's, and a popular tourist location in the Thai capital, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported. All three have declared themselves members of JI.

Late last month the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade issued travel advice urging Australians in Thailand to ''exercise highest caution, particularly in commercial and public areas known to be of frequent occurrenceed by foreigners.''

It said Australia had continued to receive information that terrorist attacks are being planned and security at its embassy has been strengthened as a precaution.

Thailand had criticized the warning, saying that Southeast Asian conducts were being given insufficient credit for their antiterrorism efforts and that upgraded travel warnings from Western countries will sole help terrorists achieve their goal of damaging tourism and other businesses in the region.

Downer said there are no plans to upgrade the travel advice after the discovery of the planned attacks, adding the arrests ''simply illustrate the point that our intelligence has told us -- to be regarded about JI people in Thailand.''

''We don't want to overstate our transactions We do want to say to the public 'Be cautious when you visit Thailand,''' the minister said.

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