Friday, December 11, 2009

Cambodian king pardons convicted Thai spy

11 December 2009
AFP

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni Friday pardoned a Thai man jailed for seven years for spying on fugitive former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra, a Cambodian government spokesman said.

Siwarak Chothipong, 31, an employee at the Cambodia Air Traffic Service, will be released from prison Monday to his family and a delegation from Thailand's opposition Puea Thai party, spokesman Khieu Kanharith said.

"The king just signed it this morning," Khieu Kanharith told AFP, adding that the royal pardon was issued after Prime Minister Hun Sen requested it Thursday.

"This morning Hun Sen said that if the man wants to continue working in Cambodia, he is welcome," Khieu Kanharith added.

Siwarak's arrest in Phnom Penh last month deepened a diplomatic crisis over Cambodia's appointment of Thaksin as an economic adviser and its refusal to extradite the ousted premier to Thailand.

During his trial Tuesday, Siwarak denied stealing any documents and stated that although he had informed the Thai embassy's first secretary by telephone of a flight arrival, he had not been aware that Thaksin was on board.

Thaksin was toppled in a coup in 2006 and is living abroad to avoid a two-year jail term for corruption, but has continued to stir up protests in his homeland.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

yup.

Anonymous said...

Now, the former spy will be treated like a royal when he sets foot on his soil.

Now, he can sell his interviews and write book (s) and become an instant millionaire, or better yet, make movie--and, yes, thanks to Cambodia.

CPP Traitor

Anonymous said...

It only happens in CAMBODIA!

CPP Traitor

Anonymous said...

Thanks Hun Sen for making me popular. Without you, no one ever know me. This game is worth to play

Anonymous said...

ចុះបងប្អូនខ្មែរស្លាប់ទាំងរយ ទាំងរយ អត់អាណាអើតក្បាលសោះចឹង ហើយអារឿងបស់គេសោះស្រួលដូចបកចេកម្លេះ
អស់ឆ្ងល់ហើយ
ស្លាប់បិទភ្នែកមិនជិតទេ អណោចអធម័ណាស់បងប្អូនដែលបានស្លាប់នោះ

Anonymous said...

Khmer Kings always pardon Thai since the day the Mongol kicking Thai ass out of Nanchao.

Anonymous said...

Wow! The king really has power (powered by batteries).

Anonymous said...

Its all a game, all alone!
The real crime, the biggest crime is that youns still illegally invading, and encroaching!

Little crooks come by day, The big crooks come by night or in the dark.

Anonymous said...

"the biggest crime is that youns still illegally invading, and encroaching!"

So what you are going to do about it?
Your motherland will be part of Vietnam in
the near future. The Khmer people will be like the Cham people of the past, wiped off the face of the world map.

Anonymous said...

my god

pouk ah norouk sisaout

Anonymous said...

who say king has no power?
I hope He'll do the same shit to Mr. Sam Rainsy if He found guilty of pulling or taking out of illegal border post and I hope He will give more pardons to more khmers who are jailed who just speak out about the truth...in Kingdom of Cambodia. If the king has no power why would he signed all of very important staffs like border treaty or promotted officials from star one up?...
Now I would like to ask one question to the king: what is the side of Kingdom of Cambodia now? Is it still 181 035 KM2 ?

Anonymous said...

1:14 AH TRAH NGOAL knows nothing but ballet dancing and PD!even power was given to him he's still a dumb shit! Look at his father, power was given and he fucked Cambodia up...King of Lakhorn Bassac like him deserves no respect. Zero respect!