DPA
Bangkok - Thailand's fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra plans to visit Cambodia soon after being offered refuge and a job as an economic adviser by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, media reports said Wednesday.
Thaksin said he would be paying a visit to Thailand's neighbour 'soon to thank Hun Sen,' the Bangkok Post reported, citing an unnamed source in the Puea Thai opposition party, which has the financial backing of the former prime minister.
Hun Sen last week threw a monkey wrench in Thai-Cambodian relations by claiming that Thaksin, who faces a two-year jail sentence in Thailand and is living in self-imposed exile, was his good friend and would be granted refuge and a job as an economic adviser should be come to Cambodia.
He added that Cambodia would not extradite Thaksin to Thailand, even though the neighbouring countries have signed an extradition agreement.
The former Khmer Rouge cadre went on to compare Thaksin with Myanmar pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi.
Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has spent 14 of the past 20 years under house detention and was recently sentenced to another 18 months of house arrest.
Thaksin, a former telecommunications tycoon turned populist politician, was sentenced last year for abuse of power for allowing his wife in 2003 to bid on a plot of land at a public auction when he was still prime minister.
Thaksin was premier from 2001 to 2006 before being toppled in a bloodless military coup on charges of corruption, dividing the nation and undermining democratic institutions.
Thaksin's close ties to Hun Sen date back to when he was still the chairman of the Shinawatra Corp, which won several telecommunications concessions in neighbouring Cambodia.
Hun Sen's open support of Thaksin, made upon his arrival in Thailand Friday to attend a summit of the Association of South-East Asian Nations, was seen as a diplomatic slap in the face to current Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who came to power in December after the downfall of the previous pro-Thaksin coalition government.
Thailand and Cambodia have a long history of animosity and border spats, the latest one being over joint claims to land adjacent to the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple on their border.
Thaksin said he would be paying a visit to Thailand's neighbour 'soon to thank Hun Sen,' the Bangkok Post reported, citing an unnamed source in the Puea Thai opposition party, which has the financial backing of the former prime minister.
Hun Sen last week threw a monkey wrench in Thai-Cambodian relations by claiming that Thaksin, who faces a two-year jail sentence in Thailand and is living in self-imposed exile, was his good friend and would be granted refuge and a job as an economic adviser should be come to Cambodia.
He added that Cambodia would not extradite Thaksin to Thailand, even though the neighbouring countries have signed an extradition agreement.
The former Khmer Rouge cadre went on to compare Thaksin with Myanmar pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi.
Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has spent 14 of the past 20 years under house detention and was recently sentenced to another 18 months of house arrest.
Thaksin, a former telecommunications tycoon turned populist politician, was sentenced last year for abuse of power for allowing his wife in 2003 to bid on a plot of land at a public auction when he was still prime minister.
Thaksin was premier from 2001 to 2006 before being toppled in a bloodless military coup on charges of corruption, dividing the nation and undermining democratic institutions.
Thaksin's close ties to Hun Sen date back to when he was still the chairman of the Shinawatra Corp, which won several telecommunications concessions in neighbouring Cambodia.
Hun Sen's open support of Thaksin, made upon his arrival in Thailand Friday to attend a summit of the Association of South-East Asian Nations, was seen as a diplomatic slap in the face to current Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who came to power in December after the downfall of the previous pro-Thaksin coalition government.
Thailand and Cambodia have a long history of animosity and border spats, the latest one being over joint claims to land adjacent to the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple on their border.
9 comments:
His childish act disgrace Khmer nation. He should not compare Aung San Suu Kyi with Thaksin, the criminal. This reflects his mental unstable.
I am no fan of PM Hun Sen, but he did not compare Thaksin with Lady Aung San Suu Kyi. He simply said some people like to talk about ASSK and others, himself included like to talk about Thaksin.
Beware the tai Press, in bad faith as usual never miss an opportunity to belittle the whole Khmer Nation thru its rude manner PM Hun Sen.
I think Thaksin will make a come back against King Phumipol and his clan via Koh Kong and internal uprising from Thai peasants (Red shirts). Phumibol's ancestor, King Yodfa Chulaloke (Rama I), Killed and beheaded King Taksin (first Thai King of Teochew Chinese descent) on April 7, 1782 . This will be a revenge and curse of the Chakri Die-Nasty! From Phra Chao Taksin Maharaj to future Somdej Thaksin!!
Congrat. Hun Sen decision to accept Takshin, it is meanining ful for cambodia to solve Border disputes... hun sen must say like that to confront with lawless /flip-flop thailand....
No words to talk directly regarding Border disputes .. just about Takshin...
Chey Yo Hun sen.....
Some people do not understand what/why hun Sen said .. may be just about takshin...no no...)
Excellency Bandit Phd General Oknha Acharknoy(= Achar wat)
The relationship between Thailand and Cambodia will be more dangerious when MR Tahsin stays permanent in Cambodia. The grant for his stay in Cambodia is absolutely wrong because he acted crimes (escape tax, corrupption in his family clan, ect.) in his country and we protect him because of the best friend of Hun Sen (yes, best friend of Dollars).
All those issues that we have with Thailnad can be stir the consequence War now or later, because Hun Xen play with fire. If all Khmer people think that Hun Sen is correct with the Taksin' issue then you all have the grave mistake for your country. First, you all must look back carefully to your own history. Please don't act wrong again !!
We don't understand why Cambodia don't bring all issue around Preach Vihear temple to the UN? You have the full hand to beat Thailand, but your delayed tatic is absolutely wrong. Are you server for the other country? not for Khmer?
former Asian political analyses
You are out of dated 4:33PM!
Come to work as current analyses, dude!
Thailand should make war with Cambodia to get rid of Hun Sen and that's the only way Cambodia can be liberated from Viets.
The rifts between Cambodia and Thailand could be just Viets' trick to divert attention. Don't forget that we can contain the Thai at the border while it is hard to contain the Viets numbered 3.5M to 5M, who are deep inside Cambodia now. How many times in the past the Viets tricked us just for their own benefits.
"undermining democratic institutions"; what about abhisit's coup to take over the thai government?
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