BANGKOK, Nov 12 (TNA) - The Thai government on Thursday gave a senior Cambodian diplomat in Bangkok 48 hours to leave the kingdom after Cambodia expelled a Thai embassy official from its country.
Mr Panitan Wattanayakorn, acting Thai government spokesman, said that at 5pm Thursday the Cambodian government asked Thai first secretary to Phnom Penh Kamrob Palawatwichai to leave Cambodia within 48 hours without any reason.
Mr Panitan said therefore the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided to ask the Cambodian first secretary to Bangkok to leave Thailand within 48 hours, in retaliation.
"This is a sad matter because Thailand is trying to avoid any effect on the relations of the two countries," said the Thai government spokesman. "As Cambodia had made such a diplomatic move, Thailand is obliged to proceed in similar diplomatic action."
Mr Panitan said that Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has been informed about the matter, but no additional order has been given.
However, according to French news agency Agent France Presse (AFP), Cambodia's foreign affairs ministry spokesman Koy Kuong said his government expelled the Thai diplomat because "he had carried out an undisclosed activity in contradiction to his position."
The Thai government is trying to maintain the same level of diplomatic ties with Cambodian government, the Thai government spokesman said, adding that until now it is not necessary to close the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh.
He said that Cambodia’s latest move will not worsen the Thai-Cambodian situation as recalling diplomats is considered a normal diplomatic measure in finding appropriate solutions to the problem.
Meanwhile Thai Minister of Foreign Affairs Kasit Piromya, interviewed by telephone while attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings in Singapore, said he will return to Thailand Thursday night to meet with the premier over the latest Cambodian move.
"The problem is caused by Cambodia and should be ended by Cambodia," said the Thai foreign minister. "Thailand has done nothing wrong but the matter is caused by the former premier Thaksin Shinawatra."
Mr Kasit asserted that the Thai government will not tolerate for the issue, but will give time for Cambodia to reconsider and fight with facts.
The diplomatic spat between Thailand and Cambodia flared up when the Cambodian government appointed the former Thai premier as its economic adviser.
Thailand reacted by recalling its ambassador to Phnom Penh and revoking a memorandum of understanding over the overlapping maritime boundaries by Thailand and Cambodia signed in 2001.
The Cambodian government shunned Thailand's retaliatory move, withdrawing its ambassador to Bangkok as a reciprocal action and handing over an already prepared note flatly rejecting Thailand's request to extradite Mr Thaksin only minutes after Thai diplomats presented the extradition papers to officials at Cambodia's foreign affairs ministry Wednesday morning.
Mr Panitan Wattanayakorn, acting Thai government spokesman, said that at 5pm Thursday the Cambodian government asked Thai first secretary to Phnom Penh Kamrob Palawatwichai to leave Cambodia within 48 hours without any reason.
Mr Panitan said therefore the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided to ask the Cambodian first secretary to Bangkok to leave Thailand within 48 hours, in retaliation.
"This is a sad matter because Thailand is trying to avoid any effect on the relations of the two countries," said the Thai government spokesman. "As Cambodia had made such a diplomatic move, Thailand is obliged to proceed in similar diplomatic action."
Mr Panitan said that Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has been informed about the matter, but no additional order has been given.
However, according to French news agency Agent France Presse (AFP), Cambodia's foreign affairs ministry spokesman Koy Kuong said his government expelled the Thai diplomat because "he had carried out an undisclosed activity in contradiction to his position."
The Thai government is trying to maintain the same level of diplomatic ties with Cambodian government, the Thai government spokesman said, adding that until now it is not necessary to close the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh.
He said that Cambodia’s latest move will not worsen the Thai-Cambodian situation as recalling diplomats is considered a normal diplomatic measure in finding appropriate solutions to the problem.
Meanwhile Thai Minister of Foreign Affairs Kasit Piromya, interviewed by telephone while attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings in Singapore, said he will return to Thailand Thursday night to meet with the premier over the latest Cambodian move.
"The problem is caused by Cambodia and should be ended by Cambodia," said the Thai foreign minister. "Thailand has done nothing wrong but the matter is caused by the former premier Thaksin Shinawatra."
Mr Kasit asserted that the Thai government will not tolerate for the issue, but will give time for Cambodia to reconsider and fight with facts.
The diplomatic spat between Thailand and Cambodia flared up when the Cambodian government appointed the former Thai premier as its economic adviser.
Thailand reacted by recalling its ambassador to Phnom Penh and revoking a memorandum of understanding over the overlapping maritime boundaries by Thailand and Cambodia signed in 2001.
The Cambodian government shunned Thailand's retaliatory move, withdrawing its ambassador to Bangkok as a reciprocal action and handing over an already prepared note flatly rejecting Thailand's request to extradite Mr Thaksin only minutes after Thai diplomats presented the extradition papers to officials at Cambodia's foreign affairs ministry Wednesday morning.
4 comments:
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, is it okay for thai to refuse to extradite a Russian to the U.S.
August 12, 2009
Thailand Blocks Extradition of an Arms Dealing Suspect
By THOMAS FULLER
BANGKOK — A Thai court stunned American officials here on Tuesday by rejecting the extradition of Viktor Bout, a Russian businessman who is accused of global arms trafficking.
The United States says Mr. Bout agreed to sell millions of dollars worth of weapons to agents posing as Colombian rebels intending to kill American pilots patrolling in the drug war.
A three-judge panel said that the case did not fall under Thailand’s extradition treaty with the United States for two main reasons. One, the country recognizes the rebels — the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC — as a political organization, not a terrorist group. Two, on the charge that Mr. Bout was conspiring to kill American citizens, one of the judges, Jitakorn Patanasiri, said, “A Thai court cannot judge a case regarding aliens killing aliens outside of Thailand.”
Thai government prosecutors, acting as proxies for their American counterparts, immediately said they would appeal. Mr. Bout would be freed only if an appeal was not filed within 72 hours.
James Entwistle, a diplomat in the United States Embassy in Bangkok, said he was “disappointed and mystified” by the decision. “We think the facts of the case, our extradition treaty and the relevant Thai law all clearly support extraditing Viktor Bout to the United States to stand trial on serious terrorism charges.”
Mr. Bout has denied any links to arms trafficking and told the judge during the proceedings earlier this year that he was being held in “extremely inhumane” conditions. He has argued that the undercover agents violated Thai law by apprehending him before calling the Thai police and carrying firearms in violation of Thai law.
After the ruling was read, Mr. Bout, 42, hugged his wife, and shook hands with his two lawyers. But he said little to reporters in the courtroom. “I’m not allowed to say anything,” he said.
Wearing a soiled prison uniform and leg irons that clanked across the courtroom floor, Mr. Bout hardly fit his accuser’s portrayal of him as one of the world’s most notorious weapons traffickers — or the Nicolas Cage character he supposedly inspired in the 2005 film “Lord of War.”
According to legal papers, Mr. Bout told undercover agents for the Drug Enforcement Administration that he could deliver 700 to 800 surface-to-air missiles, 5,000 AK-47 assault weapons, millions of rounds of ammunition, land mines, C-4 explosives and unmanned aerial vehicles, and that the weapons would be airdropped into the jungles of Colombia “with great accuracy.”
Thai officials say they have come under pressure from Russia, which has asked for custody of Mr. Bout, and the United States over the case. Judge Jitakorn prefaced the reading of the decision with what sounded like an apology: “Today there must be someone happy and someone sad.” The reading took so long — more than an hour — that Judge Jitakorn gestured to Mr. Bout to sit down halfway through.
Thank you for your posting.
See! This is the reason why HUN SEN wouldn't respect Thai's court!!!!!!!!!!
Did you clearly read this?
"The problem is caused by Cambodia and should be ended by Cambodia," said the Thai foreign minister. "Thailand has done nothing wrong but the matter is caused by the former premier Thaksin Shinawatra."
The Preah Vihear is caused by Thailand and should be ended by Thailand!
Damn ill-politician Thai!!
From Thaksin,
You guys those clowns, Abhsit and Suthep and Kasit are a bunch of clowns.
You guys removed me from power and stole the PM position.
Thaksin, Thai Rak Thai all the way!!
I encourage everyone here to write to international medias to get ourselves heard. The Thai they got their medias to sway people opinions. Each time you see foreign media article post here, go to their web sites and post your comment so a lot of people can hear from us. Please write well... Thanks.
Post a Comment