Foreign Minister's Statement On Arrest Of Thai Engineer Siwarak

[webfact]

Foreign Minister's statement on arrest of Thai engineer Siwarak

BANGKOK, Dec 16 (TNA) – Thailand's Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya issued a statement Wednesday on the arrest of a Thai engineer by the Cambodian authorities, saying that Thai diplomat Kamrob is not required to explain himself as he did his duty.

Mr Kasit said he was glad that Siwarak Chutipong has been freed and arrived safely in Bangkok. The ministry of foreign affairs had offered help to him and his family, according to the statement.

The chairmen of the National Human Rights Committee and the Lawyers Council of Thailand and representatives from Human Rights Watch were invited to discuss the issue but the ministry must respect the decision of the family to seek assistance from the opposition Puea Thai party.

Mr Kasit confirmed that the ministry has never claimed that Mr Siwarak and his family set up the whole situation but it views that he was a Thai national, having trouble overseas.

Speaking about a claim by some groups that Kamrob Palawatwichai, the former first secretary of Thailand's embassy in Phnom was ordered to collect intelligence information from Mr Siwarak, Mr Kasit insisted that the ministry has never directed such an order to Kamrob as charged.

However, ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, convicted of misusing his authority, travelled to Cambodia as a fugitive wanted by the Thai authorities. Touching on calls for Mr Kamrob to clarify the issue, he said it is not the practice of a government official who does his duty.

Mr Siwarak is the Cambodia Air Traffic Services (CATS) employee who was arrested by Cambodian police on November 12 on charges of espionage--passing to Mr Kamrob information on the flight details of Mr Thaksin during his first visit to Cambodia after being appointed economic adviser to the Cambodian government.

A Cambodian Court sentenced Mr Siwarak to seven years jail and fined him Bt100,000 (US$3,000) but he was released following the Cambodian king's royal pardon. Before his release, Mrs Simarak and the fugitive Thai premier visited Mr Siwarak at Preysar Prison Sunday evening.

On Monday morning Mr Siwarak, his mother and Puea Thai MPs met with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen who gave him the official letter of royal amnesty before leaving to Thailand in the afternoon. (TNA)

-- TNA 2009/12/16

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[jayjayjayjay]

Spineless lot of mongrels, I was hoping Abhisit's administration had more substance than the rot we are dealing with here!

[BangkokJazz]

I like Abhisit, but I don't think much of Kasit. My boss relayed a meeting he had with Kasit - long story short - Kasit sees Reds everywhere (They are coming to get me variety)

[clausewitz]

The government earlier said that Kamrob would issue a written statement (to avoid being questioned by press) but now he is not even doing that.

This doesn't make sense as the govenrment are also saying it was a set-up by thaksin and Hun sen- why not prove it by insiting kamron confess to working for Thaksin.

This is Abhist's chance to prove it all..yet at the moment it almost looks like Abhist and Kasit don't want Kamrob to give his story.. but why?

[rixalex]

Spineless lot of mongrels, I was hoping Abhisit's administration had more substance than the rot we are dealing with here!

What's rotten here is the whole choreographed, cooked-up spying nonsense that any five-year-old could see through. All been one big publicity game for Hun Sen and Thaksin. What a sad pair.

[eeconomist]

Lame!!

[Credo]

The Foreign Ministry should not ask or allow anyone to answer on their own. This is a Ministry and they shouldn't have employees answering for orders given. If an order wasn't given, or he was not authorized to request the information, then he needs to be disciplined within the framework of the Ministry's regulations.

I doubt that this was orchestrated by Thaksin and Hun Sen. They have simply played the Abhisit government like a fiddle.

[jayjayjayjay]

Spineless lot of mongrels, I was hoping Abhisit's administration had more substance than the rot we are dealing with here!

What's rotten here is the whole choreographed, cooked-up spying nonsense that any five-year-old could see through. All been one big publicity game for Hun Sen and Thaksin. What a sad pair.

The rot started on 19th Sept 2006, and will continue. When you don't give the voter the opportunity to get rid of the rot it goes stale, and not just TRT, PTP or whatever, rixalex, get a life and understand the Democrats are no better.

Credo...dido, and when Abhisit kicks Sutep, and Kasit to hel_l then we might see the resemblance of a government.

Edited December 16, 2009 by jayjayjayjay

[Ricardo]

I doubt that this was orchestrated by Thaksin and Hun Sen. They have simply played the Abhisit government like a fiddle.

But fiddling is what they do best !

[rixalex]

The rot started on 19th Sept 2006, and will continue.

Nonsense. Things were well rotten long before that...and by that i mean well before for square-faced friend came on the scene.

rixalex, get a life and understand the Democrats are no better.

jay, grow up. Telling people who don't share your opinion to "get a life" is playground.

My opinion of the Democrats is as it happens low, but that's an opinion i form without the input of people like you who consistently and repeatedly speak out in defense of a group i have equal disdain for.

[Siripon]

So did the Cambodians tap the phones in the Thai embassy? Presumably.

Hun Sen bear hugs a man the Cambodian court had just sentenced to 7 years jail for 'spying'!

Kamrob had every right, indeed the duty, to seek out the whereabouts of a Thai fugitive from justice.

It could be that Kamrob had regular contacts with Siwalak, and maybe other Thai employees in CATS, for information regarding Thaksin's flights in and out of Cambodia and he doesn't want to reveal that. Quite understandable.

Seeing Thaksin talking to Siwalak with the Cambodian flag behind him and another Cambodian flag on the desk in front of him, I wondered who this Cambodian was. Then I remembered Cambodia having 2 PMs in the recent past.

Long Live the Prospective PM of Koh Kong!

[BangkokJazz]

The board is set, the pieces are moving. Thaksin's end game is rapidly approaching. Mid January money seizure ruling - tick tick tick tick tick

[Credo]

"Kamrob had every right, indeed the duty, to seek out the whereabouts of a Thai fugitive from justice."

Yes, and when you do it in another country without their permission it's called spying.

[Siripon]

"Kamrob had every right, indeed the duty, to seek out the whereabouts of a Thai fugitive from justice."

Yes, and when you do it in another country without their permission it's called spying.

so why was the 'spy' given a bear hug and warm welcome from Hun Sen?

[Credo]

You would have to ask Hun Sen that question. Maybe because he had been pardoned. Maybe because he wasn't seen as the main instigator of the spying.

Let's remember this guy, regardless of how you look at the case, was basically a pawn. He was asked for information. He gave the information. He shouldn't have given the information and as a result a charge was brought against him because they can't bring one against someone with diplomatic immunity. The engineer didn't call the Embassy and volunteer the information.

[hammered]

You would have to ask Hun Sen that question. Maybe because he had been pardoned. Maybe because he wasn't seen as the main instigator of the spying.

Let's remember this guy, regardless of how you look at the case, was basically a pawn. He was asked for information. He gave the information. He shouldn't have given the information and as a result a charge was brought against him because they can't bring one against someone with diplomatic immunity. The engineer didn't call the Embassy and volunteer the information.

He is almost certainly a pawn unless you believe the deepest conspiracy theories. the Rest of your statement is basically the Cambodian government and Thai opposition claim and at variance to the Thai government and Cambodian opposition claims.

Lets also remember that a neighbouring country employing a high profile fugitive sought for extradtion (all of which is technically fact whatevr you or I think of it) in a high positon is an extremely provacative action and that without this action absolutely nothing that has followed would have happened.

I do recognise that both Kasit and Hun Sen previosuly said horrible things about each other but that little round had ended with just stupid little statements about each other by two hideous men. Was there really a need for Hun Sen to deliberately raise the stakes? And to answer that you have to look at what was going on on another Cambodian border imho although none of the Thai media or the blogosphere or the academic forums etc have even mentioned the issue as it doesnt fit with their lines whether hidden pro-yellow or hidden pro-red or just useless.

There are no good guys in this. There is just Thai, Cambodian and Vietnamese poltics, the last of which is never even mentioned in Thailand.

[Samuian]

Spineless lot of mongrels, I was hoping Abhisit's administration had more substance than the rot we are dealing with here!

What's rotten here is the whole choreographed, cooked-up spying nonsense that any five-year-old could see through. All been one big publicity game for Hun Sen and Thaksin. What a sad pair.

"What's rotten here is the whole choreographed, cooked-up spying nonsense that any five-year-old could see through. All been one big publicity game for Hun Sen and Thaksin. "

exactly, what should Abhisit, Kasit or Kamrob say and why?

It's not up to them,

they probably laugh their butts of, that these guy's really pulled this stunt

and believe they get away with it...

..........no further comment's...

[TAWP]

"Kamrob had every right, indeed the duty, to seek out the whereabouts of a Thai fugitive from justice."

Yes, and when you do it in another country without their permission it's called spying.

Actually, calling someone and asking if they know something isn't spying. Acquiring the information first hand or having permission to handle the information but sharing it ti third party could be.

And performing illegal wiretapping of an embassy's phone lines IS spying and I don't see any outrage from the red fans over that.

Btw, I have never been on Thai TV [that I know of], perhaps I should go to Cambodia and spy some. I get a televised release-party, shake hands with high profile politicians etc. Awesome.

[Credo]

The very nature of most spying is political. There has to a charge and a court has to convict. Regarding illegal wiretapping of the embassy---you would have to show me a law that says it's illegal.

This whole situation is between two governments. There are enough mistakes to go around aplenty. First the Thai government should have been much less publicly vocal about Mr. T's visit to Cambodia and Cambodia sure could have handle things in a more diplomatic matter.

I am not a big fan of the current government, and certainly not of Mr. Kasit. I also don't wish to see Mr. T back in power.

And sure, if you want your 15 minutes of fame, go for it. Look at the two gals who were snooping around N. Korea. Former President Clinton goes to N.K., Kim J. Ill has his picture taken with him, and the two ladies are returned to a heroes welcome. Like our Engineer, they were simply pawns. Had tensions not been high, he still might have gotten into trouble, but most likely he would have simply lost his job and been told to leave the country.

[Xangsamhua]

Love conspiracy theories.

Here's a bit to add to the pot:"... the father of the alleged spy, Sivarak Chutipong, was also a movie producer and a friend of Shinawatra family." Kong Rithdee at http://www.bahtsold.com/news?id=2170

Now the alleged spy's mother has entered and wants to upstage the lot of them.

[animatic]

I like Abhisit, but I don't think much of Kasit. My boss relayed a meeting he had with Kasit - long story short - Kasit sees Reds everywhere (They are coming to get me variety)

In his position that isn't really a paranoid position at all.

I have little doubts a large portion of reds would

give him a beating if he fell into their hands.

[animatic]

Spineless lot of mongrels, I was hoping Abhisit's administration had more substance than the rot we are dealing with here!

What's rotten here is the whole choreographed, cooked-up spying nonsense that any five-year-old could see through. All been one big publicity game for Hun Sen and Thaksin. What a sad pair.

The rot started on 19th Sept 2006, and will continue. When you don't give the voter the opportunity to get rid of the rot it goes stale, and not just TRT, PTP or whatever, rixalex, get a life and understand the Democrats are no better.

Credo...dido, and when Abhisit kicks Sutep, and Kasit to hel_l then we might see the resemblance of a government.

The rot started a few lifetimes before that.