Bangkok Post
Two of the seven Thais arrested in Cambodia for illegal entry have been additionally charged with spying and will be questioned in court at an extra session on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya's secretary Chavanond Intarakomalyasut confirmed on Tuesday.
The two are Veera Somkwamkid, a coordinator of the Thai Patriots Network, an affiliation of the yellow-shirt People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), and his secretary Ratree Pipatanapaiboon.
Mr Chavanond said the additional spying charge could make it more difficult for the Thai government to help, particularly to get their release on bail.
He said the other five, including Democrat MP Panich Vikitsreth, have been charged only with illegal entry and trespassing on a military zone. The five had already testified to the court.
It was not clear whether the Phnom Penh Municipal Court would give a verdict on the case, allow the defendants free on bail, or make any other order, Mr Chavanond said.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said only the Foreign Affairs Ministry will be allowed to release information on behalf of the government concerning the plight of the seven Thai detainees.
Mr Abhisit said after the cabinet meeting that the ministry reported to the cabinet on what it had done to help the border crossers.
The government had three policies in mind in helping the seven Thais in trouble - it will do its best to take care of them, to maintain good relations between the two countries for peaceful co-existence, and protect the rights and sovereignty of Thailand and the Thai people.
Mr Abhisit said he did not want to go iton detail on what will be done, because in situations like this what he said had many times been misreported and caused misunderstanding.
"So to prevent further confusion, the Foreign Ministry will from now be the only agency to give information on this matter to the people," he said.
About 50 members of the Thai Patriots Network today walked from Government House - where they asked the government to clearly explain what it had done and would it would do to help the seven Thais - to the Foreign Ministry on nearby Sri Ayutthaya road.
At the Foreign Ministry, they called on Foreign Minister Kasit to resign for being too slow to act.
Gen Kittisak Rathprasert and other network leaders took turns speaking through loudspeakers from a mobile stage.
The rally was closely watched by police and caused a small traffic jam.
The seven Thais were arrested by Cambodian soldiers on Dec 29 while on an "inspection trip" near a disputed border area adjoining Sa Kaeo's Aranyaprathet district and Cambodia's Banteay Meanchey province.
The Cambodian court charged them with illegal entry and illegal trespass on a military zone. The two charges carry a combined maximum penalty of 18 months in jail.
The spying charge carries a 10 year jail term.
3 comments:
Cambodian, please be aware that Thai (Thailand) will be and continue to shoot and killing Cambodian acrossing the boarder. Thai really angry and mad with Cambodian now.
what's new? siem have shoot khmer civilians already, so if they don't change their cruel way, don't expect cambodia to cooperate with them either, ok! what goes around comes around, you know! siem is so stupid, really!
Hun sen do not care, who called you akhwak or Traitor, you get it!!!
You are traitor !!! you do not be insult them. It deserve you
that.
Chao neang
tkhmao
Post a Comment