Bangkok Post
Former first secretary to the Thai embassy in Cambodia Kamrob Palawatwichai has spoken for the first time to THANIDA TANSUBHAPOL and a small group of reporters about the espionage charge that landed Thai engineer Sivarak Chutipong in a Cambodian jail following a visit by ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to Phnom Penh on Nov 10.
On that day, Mr Kamrob called Mr Sivarak who worked at Cambodia Air Traffic Services to ask about Thaksin's flight details.
Mr Kamrob was later expelled by Cambodian authorities.
Can you recall what happened when Thaksin arrived in Cambodia?
As I was servicing Thai people to make passports at the Thai embassy about 10am, I heard about Thaksin's arrival in Cambodia.
As I'm responsible for the embassy's political beat, I had to report what happened about political movements in and out of Cambodia to Bangkok, I had to cross-check whether he [Thaksin] really had arrived so I phoned relevant agencies, including Mr Sivarak's, to confirm Thaksin's arrival.
While I was waiting for a call back, I went to attend an embassy meeting where all the Thai staff were.
At that time, Cambodian TV and websites had already been reporting the arrival of Thaksin and then Mr Sivarak called me back and told me there was a special jet that had landed around 9.30am at Pochentong airport.
Reporting like this is not only done in the case of the former prime minister [Thaksin] but all Thai or foreign officials who come to Cambodia or have any movements here are linked to my beat.
The former prime minister was a person who the Thai government was interested in so as to track his movements.
Was it your normal duty? Yes, I sought the information legally under the diplomatic framework set forth under the Vienna Convention. I was not coerced or threatened by anyone to do it.
I just asked for cooperation only and the ministry never ordered me to undertake any espionage action.
As reported earlier, did Mr Sivarak send you information by fax and email?
I never received faxes or any emails from Mr Sivarak. I got the information by phone only.
Why did you not decide to tell the public about the facts at an earlier stage after the incident blew up?
I did not like to say anything since Mr Sivarak was in the court process in Cambodia and because I did not want my words to affect the case or interrupt the help from the ministry.
In addition, I have no authority to speak to the media.
But today I decided to speak because there were demands made to ask me what the truth was. The truth I tell you today is the same truth that I reported to the ministry and the same Mr Sivarak testified to in court.
After Mr Sivarak was granted a royal pardon by King Norodom Sihamoni, did you try to contact him after his return to Thailand?
I did. I tried to phone him from the first day he returned to Thailand in order to express sympathy to him. I also asked deputy director-general of the Consul Department Maturapojjana Intrawong [who took Mr Sivarak's mother to visit him in prison] to tell his mother [Simarak na Nakhon Phanom] first that I would call her but she did not pick up the phone when I called.
Then I got Mr Sivarak's personal telephone number from his friend and I called all the numbers I had more than 10 times but he did not pick up the phone.
I also asked a middleman to convey my message to Mr Sivarak that I wanted to talk with him but I got a return message saying that Mr Sivarak was not ready to talk on that day.
I knew Mr Sivarak was concerned about some reports that he conspired with others to set up this incident but I believe in his innocence. I told my superiors he is a good and generous guy. I would like to say that since the incident happened and until Mr Sivarak returned to Thailand, I helped coordinate between the ministry and his mother until the ministry staff visited him at his mother's house and Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva called her to give her moral support.
Do you see Mr Sivarak as being a victim of this incident?
Personally, I think he was a victim, as many other people believe. I was unhappy society saw Mr Sivarak in a different way to what he is really like. Although we are not close friends, I can confirm he is a good guy.
Would you like to say something to Mr Sivarak? I would like to express my sincere sorrow over the things that happened. I just wanted to do my job and did not want to cause problems for anybody. The whole incident made me feel very bad. I would like to beg everyone to understand that Mr Sivarak was the person who was affected by this whole incident despite his innocence.
I also feel empathy with Mr Sivarak's mother and understand her concern and I believe all Thais were worried about him.
Do you see yourself as a victim?
If you see me doing my job based on the diplomatic norms, an incident like this would not happen and it should not happen as I was unhappy and I myself was affected in many ways. I would like society to judge me fairly as what led to the arrest of Mr Sivarak should not have arisen from my contact with him based on my normal duty.
On that day, Mr Kamrob called Mr Sivarak who worked at Cambodia Air Traffic Services to ask about Thaksin's flight details.
Mr Kamrob was later expelled by Cambodian authorities.
Can you recall what happened when Thaksin arrived in Cambodia?
As I was servicing Thai people to make passports at the Thai embassy about 10am, I heard about Thaksin's arrival in Cambodia.
As I'm responsible for the embassy's political beat, I had to report what happened about political movements in and out of Cambodia to Bangkok, I had to cross-check whether he [Thaksin] really had arrived so I phoned relevant agencies, including Mr Sivarak's, to confirm Thaksin's arrival.
While I was waiting for a call back, I went to attend an embassy meeting where all the Thai staff were.
At that time, Cambodian TV and websites had already been reporting the arrival of Thaksin and then Mr Sivarak called me back and told me there was a special jet that had landed around 9.30am at Pochentong airport.
Reporting like this is not only done in the case of the former prime minister [Thaksin] but all Thai or foreign officials who come to Cambodia or have any movements here are linked to my beat.
The former prime minister was a person who the Thai government was interested in so as to track his movements.
Was it your normal duty? Yes, I sought the information legally under the diplomatic framework set forth under the Vienna Convention. I was not coerced or threatened by anyone to do it.
I just asked for cooperation only and the ministry never ordered me to undertake any espionage action.
As reported earlier, did Mr Sivarak send you information by fax and email?
I never received faxes or any emails from Mr Sivarak. I got the information by phone only.
Why did you not decide to tell the public about the facts at an earlier stage after the incident blew up?
I did not like to say anything since Mr Sivarak was in the court process in Cambodia and because I did not want my words to affect the case or interrupt the help from the ministry.
In addition, I have no authority to speak to the media.
But today I decided to speak because there were demands made to ask me what the truth was. The truth I tell you today is the same truth that I reported to the ministry and the same Mr Sivarak testified to in court.
After Mr Sivarak was granted a royal pardon by King Norodom Sihamoni, did you try to contact him after his return to Thailand?
I did. I tried to phone him from the first day he returned to Thailand in order to express sympathy to him. I also asked deputy director-general of the Consul Department Maturapojjana Intrawong [who took Mr Sivarak's mother to visit him in prison] to tell his mother [Simarak na Nakhon Phanom] first that I would call her but she did not pick up the phone when I called.
Then I got Mr Sivarak's personal telephone number from his friend and I called all the numbers I had more than 10 times but he did not pick up the phone.
I also asked a middleman to convey my message to Mr Sivarak that I wanted to talk with him but I got a return message saying that Mr Sivarak was not ready to talk on that day.
I knew Mr Sivarak was concerned about some reports that he conspired with others to set up this incident but I believe in his innocence. I told my superiors he is a good and generous guy. I would like to say that since the incident happened and until Mr Sivarak returned to Thailand, I helped coordinate between the ministry and his mother until the ministry staff visited him at his mother's house and Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva called her to give her moral support.
Do you see Mr Sivarak as being a victim of this incident?
Personally, I think he was a victim, as many other people believe. I was unhappy society saw Mr Sivarak in a different way to what he is really like. Although we are not close friends, I can confirm he is a good guy.
Would you like to say something to Mr Sivarak? I would like to express my sincere sorrow over the things that happened. I just wanted to do my job and did not want to cause problems for anybody. The whole incident made me feel very bad. I would like to beg everyone to understand that Mr Sivarak was the person who was affected by this whole incident despite his innocence.
I also feel empathy with Mr Sivarak's mother and understand her concern and I believe all Thais were worried about him.
Do you see yourself as a victim?
If you see me doing my job based on the diplomatic norms, an incident like this would not happen and it should not happen as I was unhappy and I myself was affected in many ways. I would like society to judge me fairly as what led to the arrest of Mr Sivarak should not have arisen from my contact with him based on my normal duty.
3 comments:
It's all Abhisit and Kasit idea trying to steal Thaksin's flight information, they think cambodia is stupid and mute or something..? you mess with wrong person this time, cambodia is different and modern these days, dumbfuck!
I'm glad Hun Sen stance strong for our country, this is to show Thailand that cambodia is not easy to intimidating, Thailand has look down our country and our people for so long, i am really proud of PM Hun Sen stance strong for cambodia...
^^^^ I second that. Fuck AiBullShit and KwaiShit.
Post a Comment