sriracha john

Yingluck Shinawatra, sister of ex-PM Thaksin, arrives at Supreme Court's the Office of the Political Holders Thursday to testify on Thaksin's assets seizure trial.

The Nation / 2009-08-07

REACHING OUR NEW LOW: The utter hypocrisy of the pardon petition

A WOMAN wearing a red shirt got on a crowded "hot bus" (as opposed to the air-conditioned "cool bus") in Bangkok one afternoon. She looked around and spoke up: "Anyone here signed the pardon petition for Than (The Eminence) Thaksin?"

Silence.

"You must sign the petition," said the woman, the volume of her voice rising along with the level of discomfort of the passengers who shared the bus ride with her.

"I do not care what will happen to this country; I do not give a hoot about any harm it can cause to this country or to anybody, but Than Thaksin must return," she started yelling, apparently in a state of fierce agitation. "We must bring him back," she continued. "Do you hear? We must bring him back." By now, everybody else on the bus wished they were not there.

Hush.

"Anybody having a problem with that," she asked heatedly and defiantly.

Not a word.

At that point a girl in her thirties decided to get off the bus; she had a problem with that.

Many of us, especially those who remain on the fence - not yellow, nor red - have a problem with that.

First, the legality of the petition itself is in question. At the outset, it was designed to be a petition for a royal pardon for the fugitive former prime minister. Then it metamorphosed into simply a petition or appeal for His Majesty's kindness and benevolence to be extended to the former prime minister, period.

If the latter is the intended purpose, those who initiated and launched the petition drive should understand that we are no longer living in the Sukhothai era, when King Ramkamhaeng (1279-98) hung a bell in front of a palace gate so that subjects with grievances could ring it to get his attention, and seek solutions to their problems.

Thailand was then an absolute monarchy, as much as it is now a constitutional monarchy. As such, there are provisions in the constitution that stipulate the legal boundaries of His Majesty's authority. This petition or appeal of the red shirts falls under no purview of those provisions, and therefore no action by His Majesty is legally warranted or sanctioned.

If the petition is intended to seek a royal pardon, it would be asking His Majesty to commit an illegal act. The law governing the royal pardon states clearly that a royal pardon may be granted only if and when the convict has already served his or her time for the crime committed. The former prime minister has never served a day in jail, and therefore is not legally qualified for a royal pardon.

Then there is a bigger, or rather "heavier", problem. The petition initiators and enablers claim that between 4-5 million people have "signed" the "two-page" petition - but no (supposed) signatories seem to have seen the petition or known exactly and specifically what it said.

Each petition actually contains three pages. The first page is the signed photocopy of the citizen identification card of the signatory; the second and third pages are the content of the petition with the signature of the petitioner at the bottom. One million pages of A4 paper weigh about four tonnes. If one multiplies this by three (for a three-pager), then by five (five million signers), the total weight of the petitions will be about 60 tonnes. That weight could easily cause the collapse of the Imperial Department Store Building where the D Station is housed, where the majority of these petitions are supposed to be stored.

If they are, in fact, kept elsewhere, it would be quite a task to haul the entire load together for final collection and submission. The whole affair renders a new meaning to the term a "weighty" situation. And how many DD club cards - entitling holders to a lot of freebies - handed out during the campaign were needed for this 60-tonne heap?

Morally, it is even more problematic.

The antecedent of a pardon, even in the United States - the beacon of liberal democracy, is remorse, and not entitlement. The former president Bush decided not to grant Scooter Libby a parting presidential pardon in spite of an almighty lobbying push from vice president Cheney. Bush, by his own account, was bothered by Libby's lack of repentance.

The former prime minister and his supporters claim that crimes were never committed by him, and that he was the victim of vicious political manoeuvrings by the "elite" of Thai society.

If there is no crime, let alone the lack of any compunction, why the need for a pardon? It makes no sense.

Then, the sponsors and leaders of the petition drive accused those who oppose the campaign, and those who attempt to impede it, of driving a wedge between His Majesty and his people. A serious look at the logic of this accusation is needed here.

Shouldn't the "honour" of being a wedge-driver be placed upon the initiators of this petition campaign themselves, and not on those who try to stop it? Isn't it hypocritical and self-serving that this very same group of people who condone and even encourage vicious and intemperate attacks on the monarchy are now pronouncing their reverence to the very same institution they have tried to shred, and from whom they are now trying to force an action in their favour?

Isn't this a case of wanting to have your cake and eat it too - in the extreme?

Legend has it that, during the time of the Lord Buddha, Ongkulymal was a most feared manhunter who sewed around his neck the fingers of those he beheaded so he did not lose count. One day he saw the Lord Buddha, who would have been his 1,000th victim, and ran after him with the intent to kill. Despite having extremely strong muscles and possessing superhuman physical strength, Ongkulymal found it impossible to catch up with his prey. Out of desperation, he shouted, "Samana, stop! Samana, stop!"

The Lord Buddha answered, "Ongkulymal, I have stopped. It is you who have not."

Enough hatred, anger, myopic vision, selfishness and viciousness have spread through in our society. Now it is time to stop before we descend to a new low of madness.

-- The Nation 2009-08-07

The Petition: Brace yourself for an anti-climatic finale

IF YOU START telling everyone that Thaksin Shinawatra has decided to do everything possible to rock the boat because he has nothing to lose but his jail term, then you're taking a very controversial position. If you think he has decided to push for a petition to seek a royal pardon because he has run out of options, then you may be accused of being politically naive.

By getting his lieutenants to gather lots and lots of signatures to show how popular he still is, he has resorted to his now-familiar tactic: Show them the money and freebies. Don't confuse them with facts. In more ways than one, the petition is nothing but a political marketing gimmick at its very best - especially if the anti-climax finale plays itself out.

A number of pundits have in the past few days predicted a twisted ending to this ongoing political drama. And I am here to warn you against any great disappointment.

When I first heard about this new theory, I dismissed it as being too much of a well-orchestrated melodrama. But when I started checking with some "alternative" political analysts (a new breed challenging the mainstream gurus), the proposed dramatic ending of the ongoing controversy over the clemency petition for Thaksin might not be all that implausible after all.

If the plot plays out, the red shirts will keep up the tempo of the move to petition for a royal pardon until it reaches a peak in another week. They were originally supposed to submit the document to the Royal Household's Secretariat on August 7. Now the date has been postponed to August 17.

The 10-day gap will see the red shirts turn up the heat on the confrontation with the Abhisit government, to portray popular support for the ousted ex-premier.

The real goal has now shifted. Now, they realise that there are no real legal grounds for such a move. Anyone seeking royal clemency must have first served his term according to the court's verdict. Besides, such a petition can only be submitted by the convict himself or his relatives.

There has been no precedent for a self-exiled convict asking members of the public to sign a petition to seek a royal pardon even before he has admitted to his guilt, escaped to a foreign country and condemned the judicial system as being biased against him.

Thaksin and his clan members aren't even signing the petition. But he was on the phone earlier this week condemning the authorities for trying to block the process to help get him off the hook.

Doesn't he appear to be the main force behind the move? No, he says, he has nothing to do with it. It all started because "the people" want him back to run this country again.

Read very carefully between the lines now. Thaksin says he isn't the man who started the "Pardon Thaksin" movement. None of his family members or even distant relatives have signed the petition. Dates have been shifted around. Can you guess the dramatic ending to this episode?

Now, before we jump to the heart-rending, concluding scene of this high-school play, the hero/villain unexpectedly gets some support from his arch rival. Premier Abhisit's declaration that the government will do everything to block such a "clearly illegal, obviously misleading and highly divisive" move just plays into the hands of the protagonist.

The "hero on the white horse" will "ride into town" in the next few days to announce that the unprecedented and highly popular and symbolic petition will now be called off - for the sake of national unity.

The episode will end with a bang. The public will get to pick their own villains and heroes. The "show of political force" will have served its purpose. The worsening divide will deepen. Everyone will brace for the next drama, as if the previous episode had not taken place at all.

This was never supposed to be a run-of-the-mill soap opera in the first place, right?

-- The Nation 2009-08-07

Murder suspect is returned to UK

A 61-year-old man has been brought back to the UK from Thailand to face a murder charge.

Paul Cryne returned to Britain with Surrey Police officers after they sought his extradition over the killing of 52-year-old Sharon Birchwood.

Mrs Birchwood died at her home in Ashstead, Surrey, in December 2007.

Mr Cryne appeared at Guildford Magistrates Court where he was remanded in custody. He is due to appear at the Old Bailey on September 3.

-- BBC 2009-08-06

UPDATE... new reports of his arrest...

Tamil Tiger 'leader' arrested in Thailand

(CNN) -- A leader of the defeated Tamil Tiger rebel group has been arrested in Bangkok, Thailand, state television in Sri Lanka reported Thursday.

Selvarasa Padmanathan, also known as KP, was the "self-appointed ... leader and chief arms dealer" of the Tamil Tigers, according to Lankapuvath, the national news agency of Sri Lanka. It also reported the arrest, citing the Sri Lankan government information department.

The Sri Lankan military defeated the Tamil Tigers this year. The rebel group is formally known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. It fought a 25-year war seeking an independent state for minority Tamils in Sri Lanka. At least 70,000 were killed.

Remnants of the battered Tamil Tiger group decided in July that Padmanathan would "lead us into the next steps of our freedom struggle," according to a published account.

That happened after the Sri Lankan military killed the group's long-time leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran, in the final days of a bloody offensive that ended the war.

-- CNN 2009-08-06

Lifeguard appears in court charged with murder of Ashstead housewife Sharon Birchwood

A man appeared in court this afternoon charged with the murder of an Ashtead housewife.

Paul Cryne, a 58-year-old former lifeguard living in Thailand, appeared in Guildford Magistrates' Court accused of murdering Sharon Birchwood.

Surrey Police extradited Mr Cryne, who landed in Heathrow early this morning.

He was named in Croydon Crown Court as an associate of Graham Birchwood, Mrs Birchwood’s ex-husband, who was jailed for 32 years for her murder in June.

- Your Local Guardian / 2009-08-06

=============================================================================

Additional background information on the victim's ex-husband's dated June 9, 2009 :

Graham Birchwood

Graham Birchwood jailed for 32 years for ex-wife Sharon's murder

A struggling businessman who killed his disabled ex-wife so he could inherit the former family home has been jailed for life.

Graham Birchwood, known locally as George, was jailed for 32 years for killing ex-wife 52-year-old Sharon who was found strangled in her bedroom in Harriots Lane, Ashtead, in December 2007.

Continued here:

http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/lo..._gets_32_years/

In a related development, Jatuporn Promphan, one of the red-shirt leaders, said yesterday that more people had joined the petition drive after it was closed last Friday and that now "some 10 million people" had put their names down.

Wow, the lies some people spout...

Lie big enough and people will believe it - or atleast that the truth is atleast at the 50% mark (giving them with this latest fantasy number added in) a 5 million man count - which is in itself just pure fantasy.

Red Shirts claim 6 million names on Thaksin pardon petitions

BANGKOK, Aug 6 (TNA) - Leaders of Thailand’s United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) announced on Thursday they have gathered nearly six million names of its supporters loyal to ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra seeking a Royal Pardon for the former premier.

The latest tally of signatures collected by the so-called Red Shirts was announced by UDD key leaders Veera Musikapong, Jatuporn Prompan, and Nattawut Saikua who jointly told a news conference of the progress of its Royal Pardon petition on Thursday.

Veera said that names and documents are being verified, but the process is only half done due to massive number of signatures collected.

The key UDD leader however asserted that the group will submit the petition on August 17. About 1,500 representatives of the group will submit the petition, with 600 boxes of documents.

He added that UDD key leaders also agreed to organise gatherings in the provinces to allow those wanting to participate in the process to sign their names.

UDD leader Jatuporn noted that some prospective petitioners have been misled, being given the impression that signing the group's petition is illegal and that they might be prosecuted. The signature-collection process in the provinces is aimed at creating better understanding of the petition.

Regarding the gathering on August 17 in the capital, Veera said UDD supporters will gather at Sanam Luang beginning in the early morning before marching to submit the petition at 1 pm.

About 100,000 Thaksin supporters are expected at the event and will go home peacefully after the petition is submitted, Jatuporn said.

"If no one causes any disturbances," said the red-clad leader, "We will disperse immediately after the petition is submitted."

Nattawut accused the government of attempting to obstruct the UDD petition process after the Ministry of Interior set up a special service facilitating those who want to withdraw their names from the petition.

-- TNA 2009-08-06

Additional background information on the accused from last year:

Suspect: Paul Cryne is wanted in connection with the murder of Sharon Birchwood in Ashtead

Police try to extradite Thailand murder suspect

Police are trying to extradite a 58-year-old former life-guard from Thailand in connection with the murder of housewife Sharon Birchwood.

Paul Cryne is currently sitting in a Thai jail waiting to hear if he will be re-tried on charges of murdering another Brit in Thailand in 2003.

Cryne, a former lifeguard, swimming coach, nurse and businessman will face an extradition hearing to face charges for the murder of Mrs Birchwood. Thai authorities are currently trying to appeal against his acquittal for the murder of Welsh skydiving instructor Robert Henry.

Last week Mrs Birchwood’s former husband, Graham Birchwood, 54, a business consultant from Banstead, Surrey appeared in Guildford Magistrates’ Court after being charged with conspiracy to murder by Surrey Police.

Sharon Birchwood, 52, was found dead in her house in Harriott’s Lane, Ashtead, Surrey on December 4, 2007, by the defendant, who called the police. She had been bound and strangled with a length of cord.

Cryne was charged in 2005 with the murder of Mr Henry, a businesman, bar owner and boxing-promoter from Coventry whose bullet ridden body was found in a canal outside Pattaya in October 2003. The 42-year-old had been shot six times in the back of the head.

Henry ran a company called Siam Air Sport and a bar called the Sky Dive Bar but Siam Air Sport ceased trading after their only plane crashed on take off injuring seven passengers, four of them Britons.

Robert Henry’s girlfriend Wilai Chiewcharn alleged that Cryne killed Henry because he was jealous of him. It was claimed that Henry’s blood was found in Cryne’s car which has been sent to a garage to be re-upholstered after the murder.

Mr Cryne was acquitted after several prosecution witnesses failed to appear to give testimony at his two week trial. Neither Wilai nor a forensic expert turned up to testify. On the last day even the prosecutor himself failed to appear.

Cryne has always strenuously denied the charge, claiming he was a patsy, set up by the real killers.

Cryne, who is formerly from Manchester and now living permanently in Thailand, it is claimed, has a British chief constable’s commendation and 157 citations for lifesaving and has also appeared in the Guinness Book of Records for completing a 24-hour underwater swim and swimming underwater from Scotland to Ireland.

After being injured in a diving accident he retired to Thailand with a disability award.

He had to resort to begging from friends and doing odd jobs as he was unable to return to UK to draw a disablement pension.

Mr Cryne has worked in the Middle East and Australia during the course of his varied career.

- This Is Local London / 2008-10-05

The victim:

Sharon Birchwood

Sharon Birchwood murder accused arrives in Britain after extradition from Thailand

A man charged with murdering Ashtead housewife Sharon Birchwood has arrived in the UK, police said.

Surrey Police extradited Paul Cryne, a 58-year-old former lifeguard, from Thailand. He landed in Heathrow early this morning and is expected to appear before Guildford Magistrates' Court later today.

He was named in Croydon Crown Court as an associate of Graham Birchwood, Mrs Birchwood’s ex-husband, who was jailed for 32 years for her murder in June.

Mrs Birchwood, a myalgic encephalopathy (ME) sufferer was found by paramedics in her bedroom, fully clothed at 1pm, on Friday, December 7, 2007.

She had been trussed up, bound and gagged with parcel tape and electrical wire. Her ankles had been tied and there was tape around her neck and head.

The electrical cord had been repeatedly wound around her head and a small metal handle had been used, it appears, to act as a tourniquet. The ligature around her neck and the gagging of her mouth had caused asphyxia.

Formerly from Manchester and now living permanently in Thailand, Mr Cryne, it is claimed, has a British Chief Constable’s commendation and 157 citations for lifesaving, and has also appeared in the Guinness Book of Records for completing a 24-hour underwater swim and swimming underwater from Scotland to Ireland.

- Local Guardian (UK) / 2009-08-06

Young man honored as hero after giving life to save drowning child

BANGKOK, 5 August 2009 (NNT) - The Ministry of Culture has made plans to honor Charoenchai Chaijia, who sacrificed his life to save a drowning child off the coast of Trat province today.

Minister of Culture Theera Salukpetch expressed sadness over reports that 20 year-old CPF employee Charoenchai died saving a 10 year old child who was drowning off the coast of Laem Ngop district in Trat province.

The minister remarked that Mr. Charoenchai was fitting of honor and that the Ministry of Culture had created a certificate to be handed to his family.

Mr. Charoenchai's family will receive 200,000 baht in social security along with 40,000 baht donated by his co-workers and employers in CPF.

-- NNT 2009-08-05

Cabinet endorses establishment of Office of Legal Execution

BANGKOK, 5 August 2009 (NNT) - The Cabinet has resolved to approve the establishment of the Office of Legal Execution to hunt down convicted fugitives under arrest warrants.

Justice Minister Pirapan Salirathavibhaga told the press after the Cabinet meeting that the Cabinet gave a green light to the setup of the Office of Legal Execution to increase the efficiency of the judicial process with the participation of 160 staff.

The minister added that he would request the United States Department of Justice to send experts and officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the US Marshals to help train new officials of the law enforcement office.

Mr. Pirapan said the office would be in charge of tracking down suspects under arrest warrants both domestically and internationally and might also seek collaboration with the Attorney-General to extradite them after their whereabouts had been known.

He indicated that there were still 262,325 pending arrest warrants from the total of 561,756.

The Justice Minister elaborated that former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was not the main objective behind the establishment of the new office and that its real purpose was not to support any particular group or political motivation.

-- NNT 2009-08-05

SRT: Airport Rail Link to begin its operation in December

BANGKOK, 5 August 2009 (NNT) - The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) states the Airport Rail Link project will be in operation by the end of 2009.

From the beginning of the Airport Rail Link construction until now, SRT Governor Yuthana Tapcharoen declared that 98% of the project has been completed and currently in the examination stages, including test run, security system, control system, recruitment, facilitation, and passenger satisfaction before providing service to the general public.

Mr Yuthana reiterated that the Airport Rail Link service will be available within December 2009 and the SRT will announce its progress periodically.

-- NNT 2009-08-05

Online lottery is legal

BANGKOK, 5 August 2009 (NNT) – The Office of the Council of State has indicated that the online lottery is legal.

Secretary-General of the Office of the Council of State, Khun Pornthip Jala, revealed that the office sent the result about selling online lottery by the automatic machine to the Government Lottery Office (GLO) last week.

GLO requested the Office of the Council of State to consider four to five issues such as the lottery printing via the automatic machine and whether it violated the law. The office has already considered this issue as legal.

-- NNT 2009-08-05

If the U.S. Marshals Service can apprehend 35,000 fugitives in a single 30-day period, they must know what they are doing...and do it quite well. They could provide excellent training for the Thais.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/findpost-p2861205.html&hl=

Obviously something more needs to be done if there's over a quarter million fugitives in Thailand. Hopefully, this new effort will help.

".....Fugitive Puea Pandin Party Chief Adviser Vatana Asavahame will seek a Royal Pardon if he fails to overturn his bribery conviction ..."

If you seek a pardon, doesn't that mean you admit guilt and you seek the pardon because of mitigating circumstances?

Can you asked to be pardoned for something you don't admit to doing?

I suppose this goes for Thaksin too.

As for the Legal Execution Dept. , great name, full of forboding ....sounds to be severely understaffed.

Seems it has been softened to the less intimidating...

"Criminal Litigation and Law Enforcement Bureau"

and yes, understaffed... 160 versus 262,325....

we'll see how much it increases...

Arab man wanted for 1990 murder of Saudi diplomat

The Department of Special Investigation has issued an arrest warrant for an Arab man suspected of gunning down a Saudi Arabian diplomat in Bangkok in 1990. Abu Ali is suspected of shooting Saudi diplomat Abdullah AAl-Besri to death, DSI Director-General Police Colonel Tawee Sodsong said yesterday.

The Criminal Court has approved a warrant for the arrest of Abu Ali, Police Colonel Tawee said. The murder took place in front of Sriwattana Apartment on Yen Akat Road in Sathon district on Feb. 1, 1990. About 10 minutes earlier, two other Saudi diplomats were fatally shot. They were Fahad AZAlbahli and Ahmed AAlsaif. Investigators believe the same gang was involved in the killings.

Abdullah Al-Maliki, 35, another Saudi diplomat, was shot dead on Jan 4, 1989 in front of his home on Soi Pipat 1 off Sathon Road. The DSI took over the investigation into the Saudi murders from police in 2004. The statute of limitations on investigations into the killings falls due early next year.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/2152...-saudi-diplomat

-- Bangkok Post 2009-08-06

Cabinet to set up agency to hunt wanted criminals

The Cabinet yesterday approved the establishment of a new law enforcement bureau equivalent to the US Marshals service.

It will be tasked with hunting down 260,00 people for whom arrest warrants have been issued.

Justice Minister Pirapan Salirathavibhaga said yesterday the move was based on a ministry proposal. There was no political motive such as seeking to apprehend the fugitive former PM Thaksin Shinawatra. "But I cannot speak for any future justice minister, and whether he would abuse his power by utilising this new bureau," he said.

The new agency will be the "Criminal Litigation and Law Enforcement Bureau" and staffed initially by 160 people.

Pirapan said he would meet US Attorney-General soon to ask the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and US Marshals to help train the Thai staff.

There are now 262,325 arrest warrants for criminals at large while another 299,431 warrants have been sorted out.

About 6,000 criminals still at large were said to use fake ID - and were the most difficult to arrest - while about 1,000 offenders had had been caught.

-- The Nation 2009-08-06

Patcharawat to get NACC indictment via the post

National Police Chief General Patcharawat Wongsuwan will receive and acknowledge indictments for serious disciplinary matters related to the October 7 crackdown via a registered postal service, National Anti-Corruption Commission member Wicha Mahakhun said yesterday.

Patcharawat did not show up at yesterday's indictment session because of a conflicting engagement for a 10-day trip to China, Wicha said, adding the NACC would rely on the postal service to serve its notification of charges to avoid undue delay.

The NACC completed an inquiry last month into the October 7 crackdown and decided to reclassify charges against Patcharawat to serious disciplinary violations.

If the NACC later rules to strike down his defence and finds cause to suspect foul play in the crackdown, Patcharawat may face mandatory dismissal from the police service.

-- The Nation 2009-08-06

Online lottery gets legal green light

Public to determine final fate of scheme

The Council of State has given the go-ahead for the Finance Ministry's long-delayed online lottery. Finance permanent secretary Sathit Limpongpan said yesterday the government's legal arm had ruled the online lottery scheme did not violate any laws.

The Government Lottery Office (GLO) board chaired by Mr Sathit had asked the council to rule on the lottery scheme because of questions over its legality. One question was whether the GLO could print and distribute two and three-digit lottery tickets through vending machines. The Council of State Secretary-General, Porntip Jala, said the GLO was not prohibited from printing materials other than normal lottery tickets and thus it could print the online lottery tickets.

The council's ruling was forwarded to the GLO last week. The GLO sought advice from the Council of State after Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij sought to clarify certain points about the lottery project. The minister's decision came after Deputy Finance Minister Pradit Phataraprasit, who supervises the GLO, had given the project the go-ahead and forwarded the plan to him .

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/2152...gal-green-light

-- Bangkok Post 2009-08-06

Online lotteries ruled to be legal

The Council of State yesterday ruled online digit lotteries were legal, opening the way for the government to permit a private firm to start such a venture.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said the Finance Ministry would now consider whether the government should proceed with the Internet-based lotteries.

The Council of State was asked by the Government Lottery Office to interpret whether its long-delayed plan for Loxley Gtech Technology, a joint venture between Loxley and Gtech Holdings of the US, to provide such a service was legal.

Shares of Loxley jumped 5.4 per cent yesterday to Bt2.70.

-- The Nation 2009-08-06

Warrant issued over Saudi murder

The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) issued an arrest warrant yesterday for a suspect behind the murder of a Saudi diplomat 19 years ago.

Police Colonel Thawee Sodsong, Director of the DSI, said his department had gathered enough evidence to charge Abu Ali for the murder of one of four Saudis, Abdullah A. al-Besri, who was gunned down in Bangkok in January 1990.

Al-Besri and the three others- two diplomats and a private citizen - were assigned to look into the highly publicised Saudi diamond scandal that shattered diplomatic ties between Thailand and Saudi Arabia. One diplomat was killed in 1989, two others Saudis died with al-Besri the following year.

Thawee did not say why it has taken nearly two decades to file charges against the suspect, whose whereabouts are unknown.

The original theft was committed by Thai labourer Kriangkrai Techamong, who was working at Prince Faisal's palace in Saudi Arabia in 1989.

Observers said the case, if fully exposed, could bring down a number of senior Thai government and police officials responsible for substituting the retrieved jewelery with crude fakes, including an imitation of the "priceless" Blue Diamond.

Police Lt-General Chalor Kerdthes, the former crime-buster at the centre of the scandal, is currently serving a life sentence for masterminding the killing of the wife and son of a jewelery dealer, Santi Srithanakhan, who was linked to the case.

Bilateral ties between the two countries took a nosedive following the murder of the three diplomats and another Saudi citizen in Bangkok.

Efforts have been made to upgrade relations, but the Saudis have said full diplomatic ties will only return if the murder cases are resolved and the real Blue Diamond taken during the theft is found and returned.

-- The Nation 2009-08-06

Cambodia, Thailand need to solve border issues with peaceful deal: PM

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Wednesday that Cambodia will not use armed forces to deal border issues with Thailand.

"Our policy does not need to use troops to deal the border matters and we need to deal border issues with peaceful deal," he said at a gradation ceremony of a University in Phnom Penh.

Before his departure for Thailand to join the 6th joint committee meeting for bilateral cooperation, Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Nam Hong told reporters on Tuesday, "I will request to Thai side to speed up the measurement of border between the two countries to reach to plant the border markers soon."

Cambodia and Thailand share over 800 km long border. The border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand began after Preah Vihear temple was listed as World Heritage in July last year.

Since then, troops from both sides have deployed and reinforced in the so-called disputed area within the perimeter of some 4.6 square km, but each side is claiming that they are only based on their land.

- Xinhua / 2009-08-05

Chief Investigator of Sondhi's Case Worries about Safety of Suspect

The Deputy National Police Chief has advised the suspect in the assassination attempt against the core leader of the People's Alliance for Democracy to turn himself into investigators, as he could be killed in an effort to keep him silent.

Deputy National Police Chief, Police General Thani Somboonsap, this afternoon, spent an hour in a meeting with the investigation team responsible for the assassination attempt case against core leader of the People's Alliance for Democracy Sondhi Limthongkul.

Police General Thani revealed that the investigation into the case has been progressing well as the probe team has held meetings every day since this Monday.

However, the investigators still have no plan to seek arrest warrants for more suspects or to summon the lawyer for one of the suspects, Sergeant Panya Sri-hera who filed a lawsuit against Police General Thani.

Police General Thani has also advised another fugitive suspect Lance Corporal Worrawuth Mungsanti to turn himself in as he could be killed to keep him silent.

Meanwhile a pick up truck owned by the Department of Special Investigation has been transferred by the Scientific Crime Detection Division for examination after it was believed to have been used by Lance Corporal Worrawuth in the attack against Sondhi.

Police General Thani also revealed that acting National Police Chief, Police General Wichein Podposri delivered him some policies, given priority by the Prime Minister, particularly the speedy investigation into Sondhi's case at their meeting today.

-- Tan Network 2009-08-05

I think you said it better in your other thread:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Doubts-Faran...in-t286185.html

Please ignore the last thread with almost the same title. It was corrupted.

But it's much more succinct... and thus, "better"...

Another one for the pile: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Doubts-Faran...in-t286185.html

That one's a curious First...

the first "Blank Screen of Done" dead thread that got no further than just the OP...