Friday, January 07, 2011

Army chief asserts Thai government, armed forces fully helping Thais jailed in Cambodia

BANGKOK, Jan 7 (MCOT online news) -- Thailand's Army Commander-in-Chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha said the government and the armed forces are not sitting idly by but are giving full attention to helping the seven Thai nationals detained last Wednesday as they inspected the Thai-Cambodian border in Sa Kaeo province adjacent the Cambodian province of Banteay Meanchey.

Gen Prayuth said he did not want to assign blame for the arrest but he believed that if there was a better coordination in advance among the related agencies, including the military, the inspection by the group would have run smoothly without any problem.

He said the government and the military were not inattentive but responded quickly the minute the report of the arrest was received. However, the location of incident was in a remote area so that when the incident was reported to officials, the seven had already been removed from the border area into the interior of Cambodia.


The seven, including Democrat MP for Bangkok Panich Vikitsreth and Thai Patriots Network leader Veera Somkwamkid, were arrested by Cambodian soldiers during their inspection of the border area.

The Cambodian court finished the first hearing on Thursday. They were facing two charges -- one of illegal entry into the Cambodian kingdom, with assigned punishment of three to six months of imprisonment and deportation, while the second charge involved trespass into a Cambodian military area without permission, punishable by a three to six months jail term and Bt7,500-15,000 in fines.

No date has been set for the court verdict.

Gen Prayuth said the case has already entered the Cambodian legal process, and that Thailand must respect and waiting for the court's decision.

He said that evidence is needed to prove whether the Thais had actually entered Cambodian territory. The areas in question are claimed by both sides, and both countries must respect each other as good neighbours, not mistrusting the other.

If the boundary post or any sign showing the boundary disappear, it could be demarcated again with new markers. Restoring boundary markers did not mean giving territory to the neighbouring country.

The army chief affirmed that the armed forces could protect the kingdom's sovereignty along the over 5,000 km border with other countries.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

the 7s crossed illegally indicate Thai look down at Cambodia. whole Thai nation look down on its neighbour. It is pure and simple.

Anonymous said...

Please folks, read the article carefully. Thai armforce would have crossed over to Cambodia to extract those 7s if they were not moved to PP first, however, I doubt tthat. Reason is that Thai prime minister use the incident for his own political gain, and to deflect domistic political implication. why thai do that to khmer? Because they can. Why they can? because our current leaders are so idiots. Cambodia leaders brain fraught to serve youn, they have no capacity to think protecting khmer.

Anonymous said...

Release all khmer people in your jail first moron! Whats about an unarmed khmer people shot and killed by your soldier every day..idiot? I urge our Govts demanding Thailand to pay for all the damaged they destroyed...at Preah vihear's market immediately!! Upgrade our military power, so they don't continue to take advantage on us...again and again!

Anonymous said...

Abullshit Vejajiva using yellow shirt to stay longer in POWER!! Thailand do not want to solve border issue with cambodia any soon?, they will keep playing games and delaying, dragging this thing longer as they could...

Anonymous said...

Well, as long as cambodia still have poor ass military, these neighbors country will keep taken advantage on you! Its simple! Khmer weak! Khmer poor! Khmer depending on them...jobs! Thailand want to take over the whole country! not just preah vihear alone? If this current govt don't something about their economy! boost up their military pwoer, cambodia will become CHAMPA#2!!

Anonymous said...

If Thailand want to takeOver, they will become fish sauce(MAM NAM), because viet army are full in cambodia today...Thailand can't fight with vietnamese army!