Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Govt calls for Thais to free Cambodian

Monday, 24 May 2010
Cheang Sokha
The Phnom Penh Post


THE Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called on Thailand to immediately release a Cambodian man accused of committing an arson attack on a bank during violent protests in Bangkok last week.

Koy Kuong, the ministry’s spokesman, said Thai authorities arrested the man on Wednesday in the Thai capital while he was standing outside the beverage shop where he worked.

Koy Kuong said the man, a native of Battambang province who is married to a Thai woman and has lived in Bangkok for about five years, had no involvement with the antigovernment Red Shirts.

“We ask the Abhisit government to urgently release him,” he said, and added that the embassy in Bangkok was seeking a lawyer to represent the man.

“We cannot accept such accusations. I think the accusation is meant to make trouble with Cambodia.”

Tith Sothea, a spokesman for the Council of Ministers’ Press and Quick Reaction Unit, identified the man as San Mony Phet, 27, and said Thai police claimed to have confiscated a lighter, pieces of clothing and fuel after his arrest.

He denied reports, published by Thailand’s Krung Thep Thurakej Online on Friday, that Cambodians had taken part in the Red Shirt protests.

“No Cambodian people have joined the protests in Bangkok,” he said. “This information is completely exaggerated, which could cause diplomatic relations between the two nations to worsen.”

Australia’s ABC also noted the alleged involvement of a Briton and an unidentified “Asian national” in Bangkok arson attacks last week.

But Thani Thongphakdi, deputy spokesman of the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that he had not heard reports of foreigners’ involvement in last week’s clashes, which left 86 dead and around 1,900 injured.

“I haven’t heard anything specifically,” he said. “Let’s wait until something’s clear.”

The Cambodian government has warned its citizens to avoid travel to Bangkok since the protests started in mid-February.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY JAMES O’TOOLE

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

here we go again.......these fucking siems always trying to make trouble......fucking dumb tai people..............you motherfuckers always trying to blame khmer people for your problems, you fucking dumb siems.............FUCK TAILAND...............TAILAND BELONGS TO THE KINGDOM OF CAMBODIA

Anonymous said...

This Thai monkey govt incapable to solve its own problem blaming the Brit Jeff Savage and now a Cambodian both who have Thai wife living in Thailand.

Anonymous said...

BLAME TO FAME, FAME TO SHAME

Anonymous said...

Can the strong man of Cambodia work with his friend Thaksin to release this man? Comon Mr. strong man, shows Khmer that you are truely a strong man for Khmer. Remember a Thai spy whom you helped to released last year? That Thai was convicted as a spy but you order to release him - how about this innocent khmer man? Can you help?

Anonymous said...

Thailand blamed everybody? they blamed, Khmer, Lao, Burma, Vietnamese..etc..? this fucken Thai'Gov't is something...man!

Anonymous said...

I have so much fun watching Bangkok burning like hell, its to pay back to Khmer people living in Preah Vihear when the Thai rockets burned Khmer market.

Anonymous said...

Abhishit and Suthep's home will be bombards...and burning like hell-fire..!!!!

Anonymous said...

this is siem's dirty trick to blame innocent khmer people for what's going on in siem's country! i think it is siem's way of deviate their national problem by blaming or using some khmer people as a problem. it's like saying siem has no problem whatsoever. siem is not perfect, you know! although they think they are! karma on siem for looking down on khmer people, etc...!