'Thais that bind: secret mission ends Aussie's torment," read the front page headline of The Australian on Nov 22, 2020. It was referring to Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert, the British-Australian academic arrested in late 2018 by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard as she was about to leave Tehran over an espionage charge. She was subsequently sentenced to 10 years in jail in a secret trial.
Her freedom was secured when the Thais released three Iranians from a Thai jail in exchange for Dr Moore-Gilbert after nearly two years of secret shuttle diplomacy administered by Thailand. While Australian media, both broadcast and print, hailed the brilliant Australian diplomatic finesse, the role of Thailand was not highlighted. Canberra branded the incident a consular case.
