Original report from Phnom Penh
11 December 2009
Prey Sar, meanwhile, holds many rights activists, as well as journalists, who should also be pardoned ...King Norodom Sihamoni issued a royal pardon on Friday for a Thai citizen sentenced to seven years in prison for alleged espionage, a government spokesman said Monday.
The pardon of Siwarak Chothipong, a 31-year-old Thai engineer, came after an official request from the Pheu Thai Party, which is affiliated with former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra, the spokesman, Khieu Kanharith, said.
Siwarak was arrested in November after allegedly revealing flight information related to Thaksin, who was entering Cambodia as an economic adviser to Prime Minister Hun Sen in the midst of a diplomatic crisis.
Cambodia and Thailand remain in a diplomatic deadlock over the appointment of Thaksin, who is wanted in his home country on charges of corruption. Hun Sen refused to extradite the former premier, who was ousted in a bloodless coup in 2006. Both sides have withdrawn their diplomats and canceled other agreements over Thaksin.
Siwarak is expected to be released from Prey Sar prison on Monday, Khieu Kanharith said.
Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Friday Cambodia would welcome his return to work in the country, Khieu Kanharith said.
Panitan Watanayagorn, a Thai government spokesman in Bangkok, told VOA Khmer Friday that Siwarak had been pardoned. He appealed to Thai citizens to respect the rule of law in Cambodia.
Chan Saveth, an investigator for the rights group Adhoc, said the pardon came as a surprise, but he urged the government to help thousands of Cambodians in Thai prisons receive their own royal pardon.
Prey Sar, meanwhile, holds many rights activists, as well as journalists, who should also be pardoned, Chan Saveth said.
23 comments:
What's wrong with ah fruitcake king only pardon ah Thai spy? What about khmer people that were held in Prey sar? Is he serving khmer people or ah thai? Sic !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
There are 16-20 Khmer people in Thai jails.How about Hun govert to ask Thai King for pardon.
it is not King's Decision. He did it for food
This gay king has no power to do it by himself, except by rhe order of ah hun xen.
What about Meung Son, Hang Chakry who are really patriotic . They weren't commited crime, why king pardons them. There many activist in jail too. It was very clear that Hun Sen control everything in Cambodia including king.
9:49 How comes you just came to know this, everybody knew since the first day this bald head came to throne,that he 's just a toy for mr xen to play around... even power was given to him he's such dumb head like ting mong! Thai king never ever pardon one single khmer in thai jail and they got tortured very badly by ah Siem, what in the world, this PD King granted the pardon to a thai criminal, even per xen order, you are the King you just have to care about your own citizen, fuck this PD SihakMonKi! Ah Sdach Lakhorn Bassac.
Ah Sihamoni has no value for his countrymen. he should go back to be a dancer.
who will respect monkey King like Ah Sihak Mee Nhee,his pardon to ah thai criminal change our view on him!
from what the thais told us khmer prisoners in thailand are the most bieng tortured by thai guards. Fuck Ah sdach Chkuot!
Criminals of Lese Majeste! Don´t blame our King.
Release or not release the " Spy" Our Court procedures are just Comedie! There´s no real justice for Cambodian or non-Cambodian people.
Oh Come on guys have some respect for him .King Sihamony had never wanted to be a king in the first place. Fucking CPP put him there.You all can blame him all you want but the constitution said that he has no power to govern whatsoever, and all his decisions were based on the decision of the head of the govt.And the govt was controlled by yuon.
But why the fuck do you care,in the next 50 years or so,Cambodia will cease to exist anyway.It's going to be yuon's country.
Hun Sen's playing a political game on behalf of his friend, Thaksin.....Now, Thai people may credited Thaksin for asking Hun Sen to pardon the Thai engineer. Hun Sen went through the protocal and was not that he needed to but because of the channel he could easy walked through to ask King Sihamoni (a puppet King)to sign the pardon for Mr. Swarak Chutipong. Hun Sen knew before hand that the King must sign and the King has no choice but signed the pardon for Hun Sen. What a screwed up society....
All Khmers should know,especially khmers in Cambodia because It's your future's children, It's our future's country. Later and soon, Cambodia will be Vietnam...Look at the leader now and the king now you should know better about this so wake up and stand up and support and vote for any party that you think can help our poor country Cambodia...
Khmers in USA,
The Sihamoni is the dictator Hun Xen's dog,the king does everything for dictator Hun Xen for Youn Hanoi and for Animal Siams!!!
The Sihamoni and Hun Xen destroy and kill the own people!!!!!!
now , all khmers know very exact that the king is for nothing!!!
Please all have to stand up with PM Samrainsy against this regime!!!!
2;12pm.
I just can't believe that you are that so stupid. Rainsy has spoken many times to Khmer people wherever he goes, he said, we need to stop hurting and killing each others. If we divide, our population will be decreased; and when we have less population, Yuon population will oust the numbers of our people.
There are million in Cambodia love the monarchy and the King, and you are here posting to a few reader not more than 20, among them they may not even Khmers, and you curse Khmer King.
So how many Khmers will follow you nasty bashing their King? Don't just bark, go and speak on microphone from one province to another provinces just like you curse in KI, then you will get the real results, how many axes will slash your throat.
People need to be open minded, just try to follow the Australian way of life, everyone will be ok. Just try to treat each other as equally important, e.g. having a welfare system to protect the poor, creating jobs to the youth, putting new infrastures such roads, housings, school, hospital and universities etc. No one in this world can help us, only the gov't of its own can. So, Hun Sen needs to look at the big picture as he only live once, he might as well do the right thing, for the righteous will live forever and the wicked will be terminated. Aust
4:12PM, I disagreed with you. In Cambodia if rights are granted and voted freely I bet with you King or Hun Sen will be not too many votes counted. the king, yes old people who uneducated like my grand parent they like, but new generation they don't. this is real, don't you think so?
How can an 'alleged spy' be sentenced? Surely if you are sentenced then you are 'a spy' according to the legal system that sentenced you. For VOA to use the word alleged after the pardon would suggest that the VOA reporters do not agree with the legal decision. This may be their personal opinion but it is not journalism.
Ok, but what about the CATS company. Yet another business the government didn't like and 'took over' - 'forced out of business' (remember the football gambling?). Don't forget though it is the kingdom of wonder - I wonder if it's safe to invest?? I wonder if all my hard work will be for nothing?? I wonder if the idiot politicians can do anymore to scare of the high end tourists???
Our king Norodom Xihamoni was gay similar to Thai PM Abhisit Xejjajiva, they will get along together well.
4:12 ah mee meh khmer krohom one in a while ah or mee khmer rouge leader start to reveal the truth color,of his and hers.
one you are khmer rouge ,king rouge and youn you have never return to be an ordinary people.
4;23am.
You cannot even read to really understand what the guy 4;12 wrote. I bet you are Vietnamese.
How Ironic, The CPP and the King of cambodia forgive Criminal "Thai Spy" yet Sam Rainsy who did nothing wrong has his immunity removed without any real case.....
Is this democratic and rational? It seem Hun Sen and CPP actions is for their own interests. But largely IGNORE NATIONAL INETERESTS.
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