By Thanida Tansubhapol
Bangkok Post
Relations between Bangkok and Phnom Penh are again being tested following the arrest on Wednesday by Cambodian troops of seven Thais including a government MP.
The seven were picked up on charges of trespassing on Cambodian territory while inspecting a disputed border site near Ban Nong Jarn in Khok Sung district of Sa Kaeo.
The group arrested included Democrat Party MP for Bangkok Panich Vikitsreth; People's Alliance for Democracy co-leader Veera Somkwamkid; Samdin Lertbutr, a PAD activist; Tainae Mungmajon; and three others identified only as Muay, Uan and Sab.
Mr Panich said by telephone after his arrest on Wednesday that he was investigating a complaint by local people that Cambodian troops had encroached on their farmland for more than a month.
The issue became more complicated when Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen denied a request from Thai authorities to release the group, saying they had trespassed on Cambodian territory and must stand trial.
Some people might wonder why the Cambodian leader was prepared to take such an aggressive stand just one week after he was so complimentary in talks with Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya at celebrations in Phnom Penh marking 60 years of the Thai-Cambodian relationship.
It is known that Hun Sen has the power to order the release of the captives if he wanted to maintain a good relationship with Thailand.
If Mr Panich had inspected the disputed area alone - in his role as a member of the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) - things might have been different.
But he went there with Mr Veera and other PAD members who led protests against Cambodia over the ownership of the Preah Vihear temple, which is a flashpoint for differences between the two countries.
Mr Panich's role in this mission is not known. He might have tried to act as a mediator between the Thai government and the PAD, which has accused the Democrat Party-led coalition of surrendering Thai territory to Cambodia by supporting the passage through parliament of three memos on Thai-Cambodia border negotiations.
Hun Sen might believe Mr Panich, in his role representing the Democrat-led government, had colluded with the PAD to interfere in the border negotiations instead of leaving them to the JBC.
Hun Sen's apparent dislike of the PAD would seem to rule out the early release of Mr Panich.
Foreign Minister Kasit, who met urgently with his Cambodian counterpart, Hor Namhong, yesterday, needs to reassure the Cambodian side that Mr Panich had nothing to do with the PAD and was not assigned by the government to join the activists at the border.
The border problem is a sensitive one. Thai legal experts accept that the area Mr Panich was visiting is one of 15 trouble spots.
It would be better for all concerned if the border problems were left to the JBC to handle. That would allow space for the two countries to work on fostering stronger bilateral relations.
9 comments:
of course, and it's not just our prime minister, mr. hun sen dislike of pad, cambodian people throughout cambodia and the world also dislike the pad thugs for wanting to steal cambodia's preah vihear temple and surrounding accessway, etc, really! i'm and the rest of khmer people are with our prime minister, mr. hun sen, always, when it comes to siem illegal activities against cambodia like this, you know! so, i supported mr. hun sen totally, ok!
and if cambodia is required to wait for siem's parliament to approve the border issue, etc; of coulds siem must wait for our court of law to sentence these terrorists want-to-be, as well, really! siem parliament is really a stumpling block, don't blame cambodia for it, ok!
abishit will go down in cambodia's foreign history relation as the much hated and trouble-maker between siem people and khmer people, you know! i hope abishit is proud of that legacy, etc!
The seven Thais knew that it iillegal to enter Cambodia border. But they have no respect for Cambodian law. They are too arrogant and bullies. These Thais love to get attention and stir up trouble. Abhisit demand for their release, but i think criminal should penalize first. Or other wise they will not listen to the border law again. They just a bunch of jerks.
Hello, sitter 9:36AM
You seem to worry so much a bout 7 illegal thai people what were captured by our border guards.
Have you ever worried about 5 million illegal VIETNAMESE who are living in cambodia right now?If so,where are the border guards on vietnamese border? I hope you have more than one eye to see both side.
rithy sen
How come I never heard ah CPP regimes talking about Youn illegally in Cambodian at all. Can you answer me all of your that supports this useless regimes call CPP?
2010 and 21 century and technology is very hight. so hun sen and his clane should not panic about thai technique and youn technique, Hun sen should demand the land back from youn. the world would not let these two country spreed the ware on us any more. if thai demand preas vihare we also need to demand the surin, and other state that is still in our land, should demand those land back.
The war of words is
OK,but the war of weapons will kill Khmer the whole country.
Thai took 7 provinces 300 years ago,can Khmer claim these lovely land or not?
But Khmer lost Low Cambodia or Khmer Krom to Vietnam in 1949AD,it is hard for Khmer to claim it.Khmer need Khmer Krom better than they need Khmer Surin land.
"If some Khmer want to get Khmer Krom back,I will make coffins to carry them back to Cambodia"said Hun Sen at a meeting three years ago.
Hun Sen is strong with Thai,but not strong with Vietnam.
Khmer need Khmer Krom first before Khmer need Khmer Surin.
Anonymous said...
Hi Everyone,
One of KI-Media member who has his name in Facebook as Khmer Sovannaphumi but his real name is Pang Sokhoeun, former political asylum and now living in Sweden. He always copies news from here to post in his facebook profile to promote himself, but right now, he tries to remove and blocked anyone who dares to reveal his con activity particular he tries to hide what he has cheated his wife (Sreypov Chea) by having a girlfriend (Sokunthear Sam) behind his wife back. Now, his girlfriend had run way from him after she knew his cheating.
A con man Pang Sokhoeun as well as KI-Media like to insult to the government officers who have affairs, but himself does even worse than other people. What a shame!
When one person had posted in KI-Media and accused that a con man Pang Sokhoeun is a brother of Som Ek (former Chief of Tiger's head sign guerilla, who was arrested and put in prison by Cambodian government) during that time, a cheater Pang Sokhoeun came to deny in his blogs immediately and had pointed the blame to Mr. Sourn Serey Rotha, but this time, he has bury his head in the sand because he cannot deny the truth that he has cheated his wife. Right now, all he can do is removed and blocked anyone who dared to reveal his cheating.
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