Cambodian Court Sentences Thai Engineer To 7 Years In Jail

[webfact]

Cambodian Court Sentences Thai Engineer to 7 Years in Jail

UPDATE : 8 December 2009

The Cambodian Municipal Court sentences Thai engineer Sivarak Chutipong to 7 years in jail on an espionage charge. His mother, who was present inside the court room, fell to the floor.

Sivarak's legal representative plans to petition for an amnesty while Sivarak remains in Cambodian authorities custody.

-- Tan Network 2009/12/8

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[webfact]

SPYING CHARGE

Sivarak gets 7 year jail term

By The Nation

Thai engineer Sivarak Chutipong was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment and fined Bt 100,000 over the charged of spying on fugitive former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's flight information, Thai television reported Tuesday.

His mother Simarak Na Nakhon Phnanom who was in Phnom Penh busted into tear.

The Cambodian Court issued the ruling at 4:30 pm.

Thai Foreign Ministry's deputy spokesman Thanee Thongpakdee said that the ruling will deliver the ruling on Sivarak Chutipong at 4.30pm Tuesday.

Thanee said Consular Department's Deputy Director General Maturotpochana Ittirong who attended the trial in Phnom Penh called him and informed of the information.

The Cambodian court started the trial at about 8.15am on Tuesday. Sivarak was charged of spying the flight plans of Thaksin in November.

A presiding judge started the trial with Sivarak's defending and testimonies of witnesses from both sides. Earlier reports speculated that the court is possibly giving the verdict today.

Sivarak, 31, an employee of the Cambodia Air Traffic Service which controlled air traffic in Cambodia, rejected an allegation that he sent the flight plans of Thaksin to Thai Embassy's First Secretary Kamrob Palawatwichai.

"I knew the first secretary only for about two years and rarely contacted him," he told the court.

On the day that Thaksin arrived in Phnom Penh, that diplomat telephoned him and asked whether it was true that Thaksin arrived in the Cambodian capital.

"I am authorised to know that kind of information, so I checked it with a Khmer staff who confirmed Thaksin had arrived. That staff even gave me a copy of the flight plan," he said.

Sivarak said he did not pass on the copy to Kamrob.

Two other employees from the Cambodia Air Traffic Service testified that Siwarak asked them about the flight schedule.

Sivrak, was taken into court under heavy security.

Presiding judge Ke Sakhan of Phnom Penh Municipal Court said Sivarak was being tried on charges linked to "national security and public safety" related to offences committed in the capital.

The defendant's mother, Simarak na Nakhon Panom, and Thai diplomats were seen attending the trial.

-- The Nation 2009/12/8

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[Old Man River]

SPYING CHARGE

Sivarak gets 7 year jail term

By The Nation

Cambodia, Thaksin's best friend.

[LawnGnome]

Swift "Justice". Gotta love it. Cue Thaksin to swoop in, to arrange a "Pardon".

[Moonrakers]

Poor bastard.

[needforspeed]

Feel sorry for the guy , but it doesn't end here.

[frodo]

Poor guy. Just being played a pawn; pathetic. I'm sure that the Cambodian citizen, Takky, will come in and save the day.

[richard10365]

I think Cambodia is going to lose some land, if not their entire country soon.... if they don't change their ways.

Wild Conspiricy Theory: This is not true but it would make a great movie!

Thaskin is a deep cover spy for Thailand. He and his family were disgraced in order for him to wiggle his way into the Cambodian government. Hi job is to help increase tensions between Thailand and Cambodia in order to start a war. The end goal of the war would be to enable Thailand to take land back from Cambodia that was lost during the last hundred or so years. Thus, giving Thailand control over Cambodian oil

As I said earlier....it is NOT TRUE. But it would make a great movie!

Edited December 8, 2009 by richard10365

[Stumbo]

I think Cambodia is going to lose some land, if not their entire country soon.... if they don't change their ways.

A rather strange comment, you are suggesting Thailand will invade, win the war and then occupy Cambodia. On what do you base your insight?

[slapout]

It might be in reference to the economic adviser they seem so keen on. His record protecting a countries assets may be of concern to some people.

[richard10365]

I think Cambodia is going to lose some land, if not their entire country soon.... if they don't change their ways.

A rather strange comment, you are suggesting Thailand will invade, win the war and then occupy Cambodia. On what do you base your insight?

Just saying it would be a really good movie. It would really be more interesting if Thaskin was a martial arts expert and had to fight his way out of Cambodia with ninja skills.

[RickBradford]

Poor guy.

It's always the little fellow who gets it in the neck when the big dudes start have a p*ssing contest (bad mixed metaphor, but you know what I mean)

[LaoPo]

Sivarak, 31, an employee of the Cambodia Air Traffic Service which controlled air traffic in Cambodia, rejected an allegation that he sent the flight plans of Thaksin to Thai Embassy's First Secretary Kamrob Palawatwichai.

"I knew the first secretary only for about two years and rarely contacted him," he told the court.

On the day that Thaksin arrived in Phnom Penh, that diplomat telephoned him and asked whether it was true that Thaksin arrived in the Cambodian capital.

"I am authorised to know that kind of information, so I checked it with a Khmer staff who confirmed Thaksin had arrived. That staff even gave me a copy of the flight plan," he said.

Sivarak said he did not pass on the copy to Kamrob.

Two other employees from the Cambodia Air Traffic Service testified that Siwarak asked them about the flight schedule.

Sivrak, was taken into court under heavy security.

Interesting......

Would a staff member of a certain Embassy in any given country be allowed to phone someone he knows at the airport and check about a specific aircraft ?

In other words: would a Chinese Embassy (or North Korean, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Germany, UK....you name the country) staff member -morally- be allowed to phone a chap he knows at a Washington DC/New York, London, Paris airport and ask him specific details about a certain aircraft ?

And....if that chap would deliver information to that certain Embassy staff member.....would that be espionage....spying ?

I know the Intelligence Services, around the world, are doing so on a daily basis....but a "normal" staff member of an Embassy ?

Interesting question but not so easy to answer.

LaoPo

[angiud]

In one of the most nationalist country I know, this sentence will bring to Takki much less approval from thai and more sympathy for the actual government.

[stinkyfarang]

busted into tear.

[Credo]

There would be reason to suspect him of espionage since he took the call from the embassy and didn't immediately report it to his superiors. That sounds like spying to me. He may not have been aware of the implications of his actions, which is sad.

[Moonrakers]

In one of the most nationalist country I know, this sentence will bring to Takki much less approval from thai and more sympathy for the actual government.

Until, of course, Takki "negotiates" his release making Takki the knight in shining armour and the darling of Thailand again (At least to those who will fall for it).

[BSJ]

Seven years seems a bit steep! Was hardly a risk to Cambodian interests.

[Credo]

Passing on information to another country does affect their interests. Even if it doesn't, it's still espionage.

[Moonrakers]

The thing is, if the information was that sensitive then you wouldn't have every Tom Dick and Harry in the service knowing that it was Thaksins plane in the first place, least of all somebody who isn't even a Cambodian national.

It's hardly spying. Spies sneak around and use deceit to find information, this lad was just given the information whilst at work one day.

Edited December 8, 2009 by Moonrakers

[Mario2008]

1 reply deleted for getting too personal. let's keep it civil and play the ball, not the man please.

[h90]

Sivarak, 31, an employee of the Cambodia Air Traffic Service which controlled air traffic in Cambodia, rejected an allegation that he sent the flight plans of Thaksin to Thai Embassy's First Secretary Kamrob Palawatwichai.

"I knew the first secretary only for about two years and rarely contacted him," he told the court.

On the day that Thaksin arrived in Phnom Penh, that diplomat telephoned him and asked whether it was true that Thaksin arrived in the Cambodian capital.

"I am authorised to know that kind of information, so I checked it with a Khmer staff who confirmed Thaksin had arrived. That staff even gave me a copy of the flight plan," he said.

Sivarak said he did not pass on the copy to Kamrob.

Two other employees from the Cambodia Air Traffic Service testified that Siwarak asked them about the flight schedule.

Sivrak, was taken into court under heavy security.

Interesting......

Would a staff member of a certain Embassy in any given country be allowed to phone someone he knows at the airport and check about a specific aircraft ?

In other words: would a Chinese Embassy (or North Korean, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Germany, UK....you name the country) staff member -morally- be allowed to phone a chap he knows at a Washington DC/New York, London, Paris airport and ask him specific details about a certain aircraft ?

And....if that chap would deliver information to that certain Embassy staff member.....would that be espionage....spying ?

I know the Intelligence Services, around the world, are doing so on a daily basis....but a "normal" staff member of an Embassy ?

Interesting question but not so easy to answer.

LaoPo

I think my mother once called at the airport and asked if an airplane has been landed already.

[leosia]

Not surprising given the endless nationalism and threats from Thailand to Cambodia over the last few years. For a country mired in debt and poltical instability, Thailand is not making many friends recently.

[h90]

My wife told in ASTV they showed his mother at the red protests and his dead father made business with Thaksin and even called Thaksin "father". So that all let it look like a big soap-opera.....

[neverdie]

I think Cambodia is going to lose some land, if not their entire country soon.... if they don't change their ways.

A rather strange comment, you are suggesting Thailand will invade, win the war and then occupy Cambodia. On what do you base your insight?

Just saying it would be a really good movie. It would really be more interesting if Thaskin was a martial arts expert and had to fight his way out of Cambodia with ninja skills.

No thats not takky's style, he will always resort to using cash to buy his way around life

[badgerbailey]

My wife told in ASTV they showed his mother at the red protests and his dead father made business with Thaksin and even called Thaksin "father". So that all let it look like a big soap-opera.....

ASTV is the biggest soap opera of them all, complete clap trap.

[khundon]

Who is this riding over the hill on a white charger? why it's Thaksin himself, come to get a pardon for the poor chap.

[angiud]

In one of the most nationalist country I know, this sentence will bring to Takki much less approval from thai and more sympathy for the actual government.

Until, of course, Takki "negotiates" his release making Takki the knight in shining armour and the darling of Thailand again (At least to those who will fall for it).

Gulp! You're right. I didn't think about this possible scenario.

[LaoPo]

Sivarak, 31, an employee of the Cambodia Air Traffic Service which controlled air traffic in Cambodia, rejected an allegation that he sent the flight plans of Thaksin to Thai Embassy's First Secretary Kamrob Palawatwichai.

"I knew the first secretary only for about two years and rarely contacted him," he told the court.

On the day that Thaksin arrived in Phnom Penh, that diplomat telephoned him and asked whether it was true that Thaksin arrived in the Cambodian capital.

"I am authorised to know that kind of information, so I checked it with a Khmer staff who confirmed Thaksin had arrived. That staff even gave me a copy of the flight plan," he said.

Sivarak said he did not pass on the copy to Kamrob.

Two other employees from the Cambodia Air Traffic Service testified that Siwarak asked them about the flight schedule.

Sivrak, was taken into court under heavy security.

Interesting......

Would a staff member of a certain Embassy in any given country be allowed to phone someone he knows at the airport and check about a specific aircraft ?

In other words: would a Chinese Embassy (or North Korean, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Germany, UK....you name the country) staff member -morally- be allowed to phone a chap he knows at a Washington DC/New York, London, Paris airport and ask him specific details about a certain aircraft ?

And....if that chap would deliver information to that certain Embassy staff member.....would that be espionage....spying ?

I know the Intelligence Services, around the world, are doing so on a daily basis....but a "normal" staff member of an Embassy ?

Interesting question but not so easy to answer.

LaoPo

I think my mother once called at the airport and asked if an airplane has been landed already.

That's not the point.

Everybody, including your Mother, can call an airport if a certain plane has landed; nowadays one can look at the website of an airport if a plane arrived or took off and at what time, apart from private planes; that info is usually knot known/available to the public.

It's about trying to get information about a certain -private- aircraft (and he did) and if someone specific was on board of that aircraft and pass that same information to a third party (in this case the Embassy of another country).

There are still many airports in the world where one will be thrown in jail if you would take pictures of planes...let alone pass information of planes to another nation's embassy.

LaoPo

[LaoPo]

In one of the most nationalist country I know, this sentence will bring to Takki much less approval from thai and more sympathy for the actual government.

Until, of course, Takki "negotiates" his release making Takki the knight in shining armour and the darling of Thailand again (At least to those who will fall for it).

Gulp! You're right. I didn't think about this possible scenario.

Which will happen, no doubt.

LaoPo