Wednesday, December 09, 2009

PM Abhisit: Thailand ready to help Thai jailed in Phnom Penh

BANGKOK, Dec 9 (TNA) – Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Wednesday emphasised that his government will continue helping the Thai engineer jailed in Cambodia, even as Opposition Puea Thai Party MPs, former prime minister Chavalit Yongchaiyuth and the mother of the imprisoned Thai are writing letters petitioning the Khmer monarch to issue a royal pardon to secure the release of the Thai employee.

The prime minister said his government was not offended by the family seeking assistance from the opposition Puea Thai Party.

Puea Thai spokesman Prompong Nopparit added that Gen Chavalit is expected to sign his letter Thursday and if all letters are fully signed and complete, the Puea Thai MPs will travel to Phnom Penh to submit the letters themselves Friday at earliest, or before December 14.

Siwarak Chutipong, the Thai engineer, was sentenced to seven years in jail and fined 100,000 baht (US$3,000) on spying charges in Cambodia.

Mr Abhisit said the government is ready to help if Mr Siwarak’s family needs any advice but that Mr Siwarak and his family must first decide if they will seek a royal pardon from the Khmer king or appeal the verdict.

The premier also said that Mr Siwarak had the right to ask the opposition party and the ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra for help if his family wanted to seek a royal pardon from Cambodia, and the Thai government is not concerned that the Puea Thai Party would use this issue against the Thai government.

"The government is not worried. We only want to see Mr Siwarak’s freedom," the prime minister said.

Meanwhile, Puea Thai Party spokesman Prompong Nopparit said that his party’s legal team is now working out the matter after Mr Siwarak’s mother submitted a letter and urged two former Thai prime ministers--Thaksin Shinawatra and Chavalit Yongchaiyudh--to help secure her son’s release.

Mr Prompong also asked Kamrob Palawatwichai, first secretary of the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh, to be responsible for what happened, after Mr

Siwarak testified he was asked by the brother of his friend Mr Kamrob about Mr Thaksin’s flight schedule.

Meanwhile, Thaksin legal adviser Noppadon Pattama disclosed that he has already discussed with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An about a royal pardon to help Mr Siwarak. He said Mr Sok promised to work promptly on that.

The relations between Thailand and Cambodia were downgraded after Cambodia appointed Mr Thaksin as an economic adviser and refused to extradite him to Thailand, where the former premier was sentenced in absentia to two years in prison for violating a conflict-of-interest law.

Mr Siwarak, employee of Cambodia Air Traffic Services (CATS), was arrested by Cambodian police a month ago on charges of stealing information on the flight schedule of ousted Thai prime minister Thaksin and passing it to a Thai diplomat in Phnom Penh.

The Cambodian court said the flight schedule of Mr Thaksin was considered confidential and of state concern as Mr Thaksin was appointed an economic adviser of the Cambodian government by King Norodom Sihamoni.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

If the mother of the jailed thai engineer asked thai government to help, the governemnt will send Jet fighter F16 to rescue him from the prison. But if opposition party helps, they just undo what they did to the jailed thai engineer.

Timothy Chhim said...

Siwarak Chutipong will be a richman after being released. A publishing company is waiting for his first book... "the white forest?"

Anonymous said...

Cambodia must demand all Thais soldiers to withdrawal their troops out of Preah Vihear lands, and withdrawal from Ta Moan Thom, Ta Moan Touch, Ta Krobei Temples area immediately...!!

Anonymous said...

Where has Hun Sen ben when Khmers got killed or jailed by Thai? I'm not jealous with the Thai people, but their lives are more valuable than the Khmers. Besides from plitic, I really admire the Thai government for what it's ben doing and will do the rescue its citizen.

Anonymous said...

Where has Hun Sen ben when Khmers got killed or jailed by Thai? I'm not jealous with the Thai people, but their lives are more valuable than the Khmers. Besides from plitic, I really admire the Thai government for what it's ben doing and will do the rescue its citizen.

Anonymous said...

Where was Ahbullshit when the Thai man insulting Khmer Angkor Wat national in his toilet?
This Thai spy is a real spy of Ahbullshit that Ahbullshit has to take his responsibly.

Anonymous said...

Khun kit ler va khun ja chhouy khov dai,mai mi van!!!
Mi te Hun Sen tov nan ty chhouy dai.
Fang pai ter!!!

Anonymous said...

Do Ma Mai Con Cac! Tao Yeik Mai Chet Roy..!

Anonymous said...

I would like to request to our Khmer King Norodom Sihamoni our Cambodian Government do not pardon for the Siamese engineer as he pass the information of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to S Siam Embassy in Cambodia, our Cambosian Law must be kill that A Siamese engineer, if our King Norodom Sihamoni & Government pardon for Siamese engineer Siwarak Chutipong this time, next time the A Siam Government will be let their peoples do it again to Cambodia, and do not receive the bribe / Corruption from any Saimese & Siamese Government officer at all, the Siamese so cruel and I hoping we have war with A Siamese so we can get our land back as they robbed our Cambodia land many years ago when Chinese King let they removed from China, now Karma A Siamese peoples receiving from King of the Vampire & King of the hell will kill the A Siamese cruel King and it peoples, King of the hell & King of the Vampire work together to kill all A Siamese and return Cambodian land back to Khmer peoples as Cambodians peoples own that land in Siam at the movement, from real Khmer in Melbourne Australia.