8/12/2009
Bangkok Post
The mother of the Thai engineer being held in Cambodia on spying charges has returned to Phnom Penh to witness her son's trial set to start today.
Simarak na Nakhon Phanom left for Phnom Penh yesterday with another son, Phongsuree Chutipong, and the deputy director-general of the Consular Affairs Department, Madurapochana Ittarong.
She tried to visit her son, Sivarak Chutipong, in Prey Sar prison outside Phnom Penh on her arrival but was denied access by the Cambodian Corrections Department.
A tearful Mrs Simarak said she had been unable to sleep because she was worried about her son. She had taken a picture of His Majesty the King with her to give to Mr Sivarak to help him keep up his spirits.
Mrs Simarak said she would wait for the court ruling before seeking consultation on what to do next.
Her son's lawyer, Khieu Sambou, will take care of a petition seeking a royal pardon for Mr Sivarak should he be found guilty, she said.
Mrs Simarak decided last week to act on the advice of Mr Sivarak's friends to replace lawyer Khao Sopha, who was appointed by the Thai Foreign Ministry, because Khieu Sambou was claimed to be an expert on espionage cases.
She insisted the lawyer's replacement had nothing to do with Thai politics. The Foreign Ministry did not oppose the replacement.
Ms Madurapochana yesterday said the ministry would continue to provide Mr Sivarak with assistance even though his mother had decided to change the lawyer.
Mr Sivarak was arrested in Phnom Penh on Nov 12 on a charge of supplying the classified flight plan of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's return flight from Phnom Penh to Dubai to a Thai diplomat.
His mother has sought help from both the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the opposition Puea Thai Party to try to have him released.
Puea Thai spokesman Prompong Nopparit yesterday told reporters he had shown Mrs Simarak a draft letter Puea Thai chairman Chavalit Yongchaiyudh would send to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen seeking a royal pardon should the court find her son guilty.
Mr Prompong said Puea Thai was providing assistance to Mrs Simarak out of good intentions.
Mrs Simarak has also asked Puea Thai to contact Thaksin in the hope his close ties with the Cambodian government could also help have her son released from prison, the spokesman said.
Thaksin was appointed by Hun Sen in October as economic adviser to himself and the Cambodian government.
Meanwhile, in Trat, operators of more than 80 fishing trawlers have received new licences to fish in Cambodian waters, the chairman of the Trat Chamber of Commerce, Prasert Siri, said.
Cambodian authorities in Koh Kong opposite Trat started issuing new licences for Thai trawlers on Dec 4.
Mr Prasert expected up to 300 Thai trawlers to receive licences.The new licences were required after Bun Lert replaced Yuth Pouthang as the Koh Kong governor on Nov 12.
Simarak na Nakhon Phanom left for Phnom Penh yesterday with another son, Phongsuree Chutipong, and the deputy director-general of the Consular Affairs Department, Madurapochana Ittarong.
She tried to visit her son, Sivarak Chutipong, in Prey Sar prison outside Phnom Penh on her arrival but was denied access by the Cambodian Corrections Department.
A tearful Mrs Simarak said she had been unable to sleep because she was worried about her son. She had taken a picture of His Majesty the King with her to give to Mr Sivarak to help him keep up his spirits.
Mrs Simarak said she would wait for the court ruling before seeking consultation on what to do next.
Her son's lawyer, Khieu Sambou, will take care of a petition seeking a royal pardon for Mr Sivarak should he be found guilty, she said.
Mrs Simarak decided last week to act on the advice of Mr Sivarak's friends to replace lawyer Khao Sopha, who was appointed by the Thai Foreign Ministry, because Khieu Sambou was claimed to be an expert on espionage cases.
She insisted the lawyer's replacement had nothing to do with Thai politics. The Foreign Ministry did not oppose the replacement.
Ms Madurapochana yesterday said the ministry would continue to provide Mr Sivarak with assistance even though his mother had decided to change the lawyer.
Mr Sivarak was arrested in Phnom Penh on Nov 12 on a charge of supplying the classified flight plan of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's return flight from Phnom Penh to Dubai to a Thai diplomat.
His mother has sought help from both the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the opposition Puea Thai Party to try to have him released.
Puea Thai spokesman Prompong Nopparit yesterday told reporters he had shown Mrs Simarak a draft letter Puea Thai chairman Chavalit Yongchaiyudh would send to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen seeking a royal pardon should the court find her son guilty.
Mr Prompong said Puea Thai was providing assistance to Mrs Simarak out of good intentions.
Mrs Simarak has also asked Puea Thai to contact Thaksin in the hope his close ties with the Cambodian government could also help have her son released from prison, the spokesman said.
Thaksin was appointed by Hun Sen in October as economic adviser to himself and the Cambodian government.
Meanwhile, in Trat, operators of more than 80 fishing trawlers have received new licences to fish in Cambodian waters, the chairman of the Trat Chamber of Commerce, Prasert Siri, said.
Cambodian authorities in Koh Kong opposite Trat started issuing new licences for Thai trawlers on Dec 4.
Mr Prasert expected up to 300 Thai trawlers to receive licences.The new licences were required after Bun Lert replaced Yuth Pouthang as the Koh Kong governor on Nov 12.
1 comment:
the rubber stamp is in order to grant the pardon per the supreme command. Everything was pre-planned behind the curtain, that's why chavalit was so confident about the release of this spy!
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