The Nation
Thai embassy in Cambodia will offer aid to a Thai convicted of planting landmines along Thai-Cambodia border and was sentenced to 20 years in jail, Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said recently.
The diplomats are looking into what assistance the government is able to provide, Kasit said.
In a hearing last week, Suphap Vong Pakna confessed to planting at least five explosive devices along the Cambodia-Thailand border, claiming Thai soldiers paid him to do so.
Pakna's lawyer says his client received a fair trial. "I think he is getting a fair judgment according to the evidence and his confession, because the court reduced the jail term from 30 to life imprisonment to 20 years in prison based on our terror law, article 75."
The 39-year-old was arrested in February of last year after he allegedly entered Cambodian territory and laid landmines.
A Thai investigation reportedly found Russian-made landmines in the area which they say were recently planted and of a type that Thai soldiers have never used.
Thai authorities said the findings suggested that Cambodia may have been guilty of breaking the 1997 Ottawa Treaty, which bans signatories from using anti-personnel mines.
Cambodia, however, dismissed the accusation, saying any landmines in the area were remnants of the three-decade war.
The group Landmine Monitor says mined border areas between Cambodia and Thailand have the highest concentration of landmines in Cambodia.
The diplomats are looking into what assistance the government is able to provide, Kasit said.
In a hearing last week, Suphap Vong Pakna confessed to planting at least five explosive devices along the Cambodia-Thailand border, claiming Thai soldiers paid him to do so.
Pakna's lawyer says his client received a fair trial. "I think he is getting a fair judgment according to the evidence and his confession, because the court reduced the jail term from 30 to life imprisonment to 20 years in prison based on our terror law, article 75."
The 39-year-old was arrested in February of last year after he allegedly entered Cambodian territory and laid landmines.
A Thai investigation reportedly found Russian-made landmines in the area which they say were recently planted and of a type that Thai soldiers have never used.
Thai authorities said the findings suggested that Cambodia may have been guilty of breaking the 1997 Ottawa Treaty, which bans signatories from using anti-personnel mines.
Cambodia, however, dismissed the accusation, saying any landmines in the area were remnants of the three-decade war.
The group Landmine Monitor says mined border areas between Cambodia and Thailand have the highest concentration of landmines in Cambodia.
7 comments:
What about all poor Khmers who committed no serious crime, like crossing border for work, and being locked up in Thai prison? Will Thai release them? Of course not. How then the Thais have the nerve to come here and try to gain the freedom for the Thai criminal who want to harm or kill Khmers? You fucking shameless bitch.
Siam bandit Kasit Piromya was dreamed to seek releasing criminal from prison, but he will not success.
(Signed) Hun Xen
good luck, kasit. try to get pardon from king sihamoni....
8:43 Don't blame the Thai. Ask HUN SEN why he released the first Thai engineering and ask the stupid king to pardon him. Thailand leadership are very smart. They alway acting very professional NOT like our ignorance, and stupid Khmer PM leadership talking like a child and unprofessional when he travel to the border. What a dumb PM of Cambodia don't even know how to speak in his own language. SHAME! SHAME! to the Communist People Party ( CPP ).
This is a good government sense and duty to help its citizen. I wish Khmer government has the gut to defend the thousand of innocent Khmers in Thailand or in other nations.
good luck if cambodia agree with them. as far as cambodia is concern. this guy is a criminal, not only he trespassed into khmer territory, he also committed illegal activity of harming khmer people by unlawfully laying landmine on khmer soil. now, try to justify that to khmer people! good luck, really!
No need to help any Siem criminal for trying to destroy peace and stability in Khmer society!
Just lock them up and make them do time! Criminal must not be rewarded otherwise Cambodia will invite more Siem criminals! One Siem criminal is too many Siem criminals in Cambodia!
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