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| Panich: Democrat MP was ‘inspecting land’ |
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| Veera Somkwamkid is a PAD co-leader |
30/12/2010
Bangkok Post Reporters and AFP
Seven Thais, including a Democrat Party MP and members of the People's Alliance for Democracy, are facing prosecution on charges of trespassing on Cambodian territory.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said yesterday he had ordered legal action be taken against the seven.
They will be taken to Phnom Penh to face trial.
The Thais were arrested about 10am yesterday near Ban Nong Jarn in Sa Kaeo's Khok Sung district while inspecting a disputed border area.
"They were measuring disputed land inside Cambodian territory, so Cambodia has the right to arrest them," Hun Sen said at a government meeting on rural development.
The seven would be sent to court today and held at Prey Sar prison.
Hun Sen said he hoped the incident would not affect relations between the two countries.
"I hope Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will understand the Cambodian judicial system," he said, adding the arrests were not an act of revenge against Thailand.
Those arrested are Democrat Party MP for Bangkok Panich Vikitsreth; Veera Somkwamkid, a PAD co-leader; Samdin Lertbutr, a PAD activist; Tainai Mungmajon; and three others identified only as Muay, Uan and Sab.
Mr Panich insisted by phone about four hours after being arrested that he and the six others were on Thai soil when they were detained by Cambodian troops.
He said his group had just arrived in the village when they were arrested. The MP had received complaints from local people that Cambodian troops had encroached on their farmland for more than a month and stopped them from entering the area.
Villagers insist they have land title deeds to prove their ownership and they pay land taxes, Mr Panich said.
He said his delegation was making its way to the disputed land when eight or nine Cambodian soldiers carrying weapons detained them and seized their belongings, including communication devices and cameras.
Mr Panich, a member of the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission, said the troops returned the belongings after they were contacted by Thai authorities.
He said he wanted to inspect the demarcation work at a disputed border area near the village.
The commander of the 2nd Infantry Division, Maj Gen Walit Rojanapakdi, and the chief of the 12th Border Police Patrol, Pol Col Nat Saeng-udom, tried to negotiate with Cambodian authorities to secure the release of the Thais, but the talks failed.
Mr Abhisit was also reported to have contacted Hun Sen, but the Cambodian prime minister turned down the request for the Thais to be returned home immediately.
A border source said the 1st Army commander had now ordered the temporary closure of the border at Ban Nong Jarn.
Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh said the Thais could not be released as they had violated Cambodian law by trespassing on Cambodian territory.
"The detainees have to follow the judicial process and stand trial. We can't make exceptions," Gen Tea Banh said.
He said it was impossible for Cambodian authorities to cross the border and arrest Thais on Thai territory.
7 comments:
Good job!!!!!!!!!!
Congratulations for our soldiers hard works and do not let them go home without trial. Make them wake up that they can't trespass into Cambodia. Thanks for giving them a lesson!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please continue to do more
these pad thugs don't have any rights, they intruded into our territory! i say take them to court and question their motive! what kind of stupid siem lawmaker is that? shame on them!
Thank for CPP did this to Thai law maker and other six
other citizens,but no
thank to Hun Sen govt
not to catch Vietnamese police and
soldiers who pushed
Khmer law makers in
100 meters inside Khmer land.
Why Khmer police
and soldiers are not arrested Vietnamese police and soldiers inside
Khmer land?
Because Vietnam govt is Hun Sen master.
Khmer govt should treat both of them fairly because they are Khmer friends.
If someone looks and sees only one side,s/he is ah kwarng mkack.
Cambodian soldier not dare crossing into Thai territory to arrest the bandits unless the bandits are illegally in Cambodian territory!
និយាយតែជាមួយថែចុះយួនចូលមកខុសច្បាប់ហើយសម្ថកិច្ចខ្មែរធ្វើអត្តសញ្ញាណ័អោយទៀតម្តេចក៏មិននិយាយផង? យួនចូលមកពេញទឹកពេញដីមិនព្រមនាំគ្នាគឹត មកគឹតសរសើរការចាប់ថែពីបីនាក់នេះវិញ!
I thank Khmer soldiers for arresting these Thai Nationalists and trouble makers. They are the core leaders of the fucken yellow shirt PAD movement who believe that Cambodia is recently a part of Thailand. The real fact is that Thailand was stolen from Cambodia not long ago. Hope Hun Sen lock them up for good.
If these were Cambodian crossing over to Thailand, Siam soldiers would have shot them dead. That is the difference between Khmer civilized society and Siam uncivilized, unsophisticated, and barberic thug siam soldiers.
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