Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Thai lawyers not allowed to defend 7 Thais in Cambodia

January 19, 2011
Xinhua

The Lawyers Council of Cambodia has turned down a request to replace two Cambodian lawyers defending the seven Thais facing prosecution in Phnom Penh with Thai lawyers, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Wednesday.

The request was made by legal advisors of Thailand Patriots Network (TPN), an aggressive nationalistic group to which some of the seven Thais belong to, according to Thani Thongphakdi, director-general of the ministry's Information Department.

Thani told reporters that this meant the seven Thais will continue to be defended in court by the two Cambodian lawyers hired by the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh.


He said the Cambodian lawyers planned to petition the Supreme Court in requesting bail for Veera Somkwamkid, a TPN leader who is the only Thai still being detained, after his request for bail had earlier been rejected by an appeal court.

The other six Thais, arrested by Cambodian soldiers on Dec. 29 for alleged illegal entry into the neighboring country, have been granted bail and are currently staying at the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh.

Thani said his ministry was still unclear when the court will deliver its verdict on the seven Thais.

There have been reports speculating that the court will deliver its verdict on Feb. 1.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

How could this story be happened if a son has stoled a neighbor's property and a parent of a culprit requests a judge to stand a trial against a property owner? Both the squatter and PAD chauvinists should understand that the encroachment to Cambodian territory of Border Gate #46 was an intentional of instigate a dispute with a neighbor. Thai(PAD) should learn a lesson from its rival, the REDS last year. The CPP gov't will never tolerate of the Thai intruders anymore into it territory, but if one supposed he could/transgress against the Cambodian's law, he/she would take to PP municipal court for adjudication. I hope Veera Somkwamkid is doing fine by staying with the Kmen's mosquitoes in a 7-star Prey Sar hotel. If Veera is getting sick, please let a group of Thai physicians know so they could give him some Symbyax like the Viet did to Mr. Pen Sovann in Hanio, Anam.

Anonymous said...

this is khmer court, not siem court, ok! so, if our law required them to have khmer lawyers, then they must obey our regulations, you know! that's what interpreters are for. khmer lawyers and interpreters need job, too, you know! it's about the job and experience comes with it, ok! we want khmer lawyers to have good job and experience, ok!

Anonymous said...

yes, good thinking, give the job to the khme lawyer, not siem lawyer! khmer lawyer got to make a living too, you know!

Anonymous said...

A-siem lawyers don't have license to practice in Cambodia. Period.
Like it or not.

Anonymous said...

Are Thai people stupid or what? They don’t allow foreign lawyers to represent the accused in Thai courts, how can they request to have their lawyers defending their citizens in Cambodian court?

Anonymous said...

1:27AM! no Thai people not stupid!
You are dumb! The the way law work! ASK!!!!

Anonymous said...

Thailand should hire couple of Vietnamese lawyers to defend 7 Thais in Cambodian Court. Te Cambodian Court's judge will surely piss to his pant.