FM Kasit: Thailand won't negotiate with Cambodia as long as Thaksin advises

BANGKOK, Nov 27 (TNA) - Thai Minister of Foreign Affairs Kasit Piromya on Friday asserted that Thailand will not open negotiations to settle the diplomatic row with its neighbour Cambodia as the problem was caused by its neighbour when Cambodia appointed fugitive ousted Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra as its economic adviser.

Mr Kasit commented as former Thai foreign minister Surakiart Sathirathai advised the Abhisit Vejjajiva government to open talks with the Cambodian government first to end recent diplomatic falling out which deteriorated relations between the two kingdoms.

The minister reaffirmed that Thailand will not begin negotiations as long as the fugitive ex-Thai premier remains in the post and the Cambodian government still "meddles" with Mr Thaksin.

He said that it is not about "losing face" because Thailand has its own dignity, saying the problem was initiated by the Cambodian government and should be ended by Phnom Penh.

Mr Kasit also denied a news report that the Thai foreign ministry has submitted a letter to the Cambodian government calling for Mr Thaksin's dismissal, saying that the ministry has already disclosed what it had done, and that it has nothing to hide.

The foreign ministry has done everything in its power to help the detained Thai engineer being held in a Cambodian prison over spying charges and provided a lawyer for him, but the case must proceed under the Cambodian judicial process, he said.

Diplomatic ties between Thailand and Cambodia worsened after the Cambodian government appointed the fugitive ex-Thai premier as its economic adviser and personal advider to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Both countries recalled their respective ambassadors in retaliatory action, while the Cambodian government rejected Thailand's request to extradite Mr Thaksin.

The Cambodian authorities then arrested Siwarak Chutipong, an employee of Cambodia Air Traffic Services (CATS), charging him with acquiring secret information considered to affecting Cambodia's national security after he was accused of releasing Thaksin Shinawatra’s flight schedule to a Thai embassy official in Phnom Penh.

Meanwhile, Cambodian Defence Minister Gen Tea Banh who is now attending the Thai-Cambodian General Border Committee (GBC) meeting in the Thai sside resort of Pattaya, southeast of Bangkok on Friday reiterated that legal action against Mr Siwarak will proceed under international legal practices and with fair treatment.

Gen Tea Banh expressed confidence that problems will be sorted out and Cambodia will not complicate the case of the Thai engineer by mixing it with other issues.

However, he said the period of detention depends on the legal procedure and the court ruling.

The Cambodian defence minister reasserted that the arrest of the Thai citizen has nothing to do with politics, but is because his actions are an offence under Cambodian law.

Secret new party formation revealed by Sam Rainsy: Ranariddh asked to be party president

Sam Rainsy reveals about the formula for forming a new political party where Prince Ranariddh would be the party president, and himself the party vice-president

Monday, December 24, 2007
Rasmei Kampuchea
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

From his home in Paris, France, opposition leader Sam Rainsy revealed about a secret whereby Prince Ranariddh wants to send one his close associates to negotiate with the SRP to form a new political party. This new party will be formed under a formula with which Prince Ranariddh asked to be the party president, and Sam Rainsy to be the party vice-president, but that Sam Rainsy would be the new party premiership candidate.

Sam Rainsy told Rasmei Kampuchea from Paris that he received information indicating that Prince Ranariddh wants to send Sao Rany, his close associate, to meet with SRP officials. Sam Rainsy claimed that in the formula proposed for the formation of this new political party, Prince Ranariddh asked to be the party president, and the prince asked that Sam Rainsy becomes the party vice-president and candidate to the premiership for this new political party.

Nevertheless, Sam Rainsy and his party do not pay attention to the joining hand with Prince Ranariddh. Sam Rainsy commented that an alliance with the prince will lead to a major loss for his party. Sam Rainsy said: “Prince Ranariddh wants to use the SRP force to negotiate for his personal gain only.”

Taking this opportunity, Sam Raisny rejected the claim that he met with Prince Ranariddh in Paris. Sam Rainsy said that he has no desire to meet with the prince.

Sam Rainsy indicated also that the relationships at the upper level with Prince Ranariddh is tantamount to relationship in the cloud, with both feet not touching the ground anymore. He gives more importance to the work at the grass root level, where he is dealing directly with the voters.

Muth Chantha, NRP spokesman, rejected by saying that this issue started right after the commune election. At that time, he and Mrs. Mu Sochua, SRP Secretary-general, met to discuss the cooperation after the commune election, but that there was no discussion about the formation of a new political party. Later on, Sam Rainsy declared that he will not unite for power sharing. Furthermore, Muth Chantha rejected the claim that Sao Rany met with SRP officials.

Overseas, Sam Rainsy spent a lot of his time to meet with the 210,000 Cambodians living in Europe, about 200,000 of whom are living in France, and the remainder in Germany, Holland, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, etc… It is noted that on 29 December, Sam Rainsy will participate in the inauguration of the SRP branch in Finland. Sam Rainsy indicated that Sok Yoeun, who was handed a jail sentence in Cambodia stemming from a charge of attempting to kill Hun Sen in Siem Reap in 1998, will be the SRP party president in Finland.