According to The Local, a Swedish English-language online publication, Bildt claimed that Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat had misinterpreted what was said at a meeting with his Thai counterpart, Nitya Pibulsonggram.

"I spoke about freedom of speech and organisations in Sweden, irrespective of where one comes from, but also that we obviously do not tolerate violence and that in this case I am aware of certain tendencies in that direction," said a short statement from Bildt, read out over the weekend by his adviser, Martina Rznk.

Tharit told The Nation in an interview last week in Hamburg, Germany, following a meeting between Nitya and Bildt, that "Sweden was watching this group of people carefully".

"The Swedish authorities are ready and willing to share intelligence at our request," Tharit said. He could not be reached for comment yesterday.

According The Local, Bildt added that cooperation with Thailand "would be in accordance with Swedish law so that the freedom of movement for Swedish citizens and foreign citizens in exile would be protected". Sweden and its non-governmental organisations have historically played a mediating role between rebel groups and the governments they were fighting.

Members from Patani United Liberation Organisa-tion and the Free Aceh Movement have taken refuge in the country

Like other European countries, Swedish law prohibits the monitoring of activities by exiled groups as they are not considered terrorists.

Like the Acehnese from the northern tip of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, a number of ethnic Malays from Thailand's deep South have taken refuge or asylum in Sweden and other European countries for fear of prosecution by the government.