Court denies bail for 5 jailed Thais

Govt lodges appeal with Cambodian court

15/01/2011
Bangkok Post

PHNOM PENH : The Foreign Ministry has lodged an appeal with the Phnom Penh municipal court seeking a review of its decision to deny bail to the remaining five Thais held in the Cambodian capital.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday said the request for a judicial review was submitted immediately after the court rejected bail bids for the five.

The government expects the results of the review early next week.

Mr Abhisit said the government is determined to have all of them released or at least bailed.

"The bail granted to the two others is a good sign. I do not know why the other five were denied bail," he said.

Meanwhile, Cambodia's Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ministry yesterday issued a statement saying the Cambodian court is proceeding in the cases without any animosity toward the Thai people.

The statement said on Dec 29 seven Thai nationals illegally crossed the border. This group was arrested and handed over to the Cambodian court for legal action in accordance with Cambodia's immigration law.

On Thursday, the Cambodian court freed on bail Democrat MP Panich Vikitsreth and Narumol Chitwaratana on health grounds. The court is still considering the cases of the other five.

"The court of Cambodia is proceeding on this case in accordance with Cambodia's immigration law in consideration of the current good relations between Cambodia and Thailand, without any animosity towards the Thai people," the statement said.

Thai ambassador to Cambodia Prasas Prasasvinitchai said the Cambodian lawyers representing the five detained Thais have lodged an appeal asking the court to temporarily release them on bail.

The Thai ambassador also said Mr Panich and Ms Narumol, who are now residing inside his residence at the Royal Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh, did not wish to talk with the media in case their remarks affected their cases.

Besides the trespassing charge, two of the Thais - Veera Somkwamkid, a coordinator of the Thai Patriots Network, and Ratree Pipatanapaiboon, Mr Veera's secretary - are accused of spying and posing a threat to Cambodia's national security.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Thani Thongphakdee said the Cambodian court did not give any reason as to why the bail bids had been rejected.

He added that Cambodian authorities have agreed in principle to allow representatives of the Thai Patriots Network to visit the five, who are detained at Prey Sar Prison in Phnom Penh, but a court order is needed for such a visit.

However, a legal team from the Thai Patriots Network which is now in Phnom Penh was not allowed to meet them.

"We have a certified document from the Thai Embassy but we don't know why they did not allow us to meet the suspects," said ex-Buri Ram senator Karoon Saignarm, part of the legal team.

"We have been here since Monday to prepare relevant documents on our planned visit.".

Fellow team member Nataporn Toprayoon, adviser at the Office of the Ombudsman, said the two Cambodian lawyers representing the Thai suspects did not have enough information to help fight the charges.

They just questioned Thai suspects and officials of the Thai Foreign Ministry through Thai-Khmer interpreters before presenting to the court, he said.

"This put [the seven Thais] at a disadvantage," he said.

Mr Nataporn said his legal team has evidence to submit to the court that the seven Thais arrested by Cambodian soldiers did not actually trespass into Cambodia but were on Thai soil.

"We will go back to the Cambodian Interior Ministry again to insist on our demands," said Mr Nataporn.

The Thai Patriots Network is calling for the resignation of Mr Abhisit, Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon.

The group is frustrated over the government's stance that the seven were arrested on Cambodian soil, as it does not believe this is true.