Ties'At Risk' If Phnom Penh Drags Out Case: Thai Foreign Minister

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THAI-CAMBODIA BORDER DISPUTE

Ties'at risk' if Phnom Penh drags out case

By Piyanart Srivalo

The Nation

Kasit wants Cabinet to review relations if no progress in two days

Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya wants the Cabinet to review Thailand's relations with Cambodia unless Phnom Penh makes progress with the case of the seven arrested Thai nationals, including Democrat MP Panich Vikitsreth, in the next couple of days, a government source said.

Kasit told the Cabinet meeting yesterday that he had failed to talk Cambodian authorities into settling the case out of court, because Phnom Penh was angry with some members of the group, especially yellowshirt activist Veera Somkwamkid, who was caught twice in the same location, the source said.

Panich, Veera and the other yellowshirt activists were arrested last Wednesday on Cambodian soil near Sa Kaew's Bang Nong Chan community while allegedly inspecting the disputed border area.

Veera was captured at the same location in August when he and his group crossed the border illegally. He was released shortly afterwards thanks to help from the border police.

This time, though, Phnom Penh is taking the case seriously and is prosecuting the intruders. However, a Cambodian senior security source said Panich might be given bail because he apparently had no intention to provoke arrest.

Kasit said on television that though the government was unable to intervene in the Cambodian justice system, he hoped the authorities in Phnom Penh would speed up the process. Illegal entry is not a serious crime and they do not deserve tough punishment, he said.

"Our relations are improving and I hope Cambodia does not take this minor case of illegal entry so seriously. Otherwise, we would need to review our relations," he said.

Information from the Royal Thai Survey Department indicated that the group had gone just 55 metres into Cambodian territory, Kasit said.

A series of leaked video clips showed that Panich was speaking on the phone with an unknown person and wanted this person to tell Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva that he was walking into Cambodia and wanted them to keep in touch in case "something" happens.

Abhisit said he was aware of Panich's trip to the border area but did not expect him to go that far. He said he had simply told Panich to listen to members of the People's Alliance for Democracy movement, who have problems with the boundary area.

Government spokesman Panithan Wattanayakorn said Panich had told Abhisit that he would visit the border area in Prachin Buri province. "However, he changed the destination. If Panich had informed the prime minister that he would enter Cambodia, the premier would have stopped him."

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said the video clip posted on YouTube had put Thailand at a disadvantage.

A Phnom Penh court has charged the seven Thais with illegal entry and unlawfully entering a military base, which could see each of them getting a combined jail term of 18 months if convicted.

Kasit said the Foreign Ministry had provided legal assistance by hiring a lawyer to defend the group and assigned officials at the Thai Embassy to monitor their wellbeing in prison. He said the court would hold the first hearing on Thursday tomorrow and that the group had the right to request bail.

Meanwhile, a group of about 200 yellowshirt protesters, led by former industry minister Chaiwat Sinsuwong, rallied at a border market in Sa Kaew province, demanding that the government help rescue their compatriots.

However, residents of Bang Nong Chan and Non Mak Moon communities were against this gathering and about 800 of them gathered at the subdistrict administration office demanding that the yellow shirts be kept out. They said they did not want their peace to be disturbed and that people on both sides of the border could live together peacefully even though the governments were in a conflict over the boundary.

-- The Nation 2011-01-05

[kalbo123]

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said the video clip posted on YouTube had put Thailand at a disadvantage.

Good reason to block the internet from now on...

[Orac]

"Government spokesman Panithan Wattanayakorn said Panich had told Abhisit that he would visit the border area in Prachin Buri province."

Can someone else help me out here as I was not aware that Prachin Buri had a border area???

[random]

we wont interfere in the cambodian legal system but if they don't get a move on and give us a favourable result it will affect diplomatic ties. surely a threat to diplomacy is interfering in their legal process.

When will Thailand grow up, accept their people did wrong and accept the punishment that goes with it.

[jayboy]

we wont interfere in the cambodian legal system but if they don't get a move on and give us a favourable result it will affect diplomatic ties. surely a threat to diplomacy is interfering in their legal process.

When will Thailand grow up, accept their people did wrong and accept the punishment that goes with it.

I would have thought little Kasit would rather approve of delayed legal proceedings, since his own terrorist activities have yet to come before a Thai court.

[random]

we wont interfere in the cambodian legal system but if they don't get a move on and give us a favourable result it will affect diplomatic ties. surely a threat to diplomacy is interfering in their legal process.

When will Thailand grow up, accept their people did wrong and accept the punishment that goes with it.

I would have thought little Kasit would rather approve of delayed legal proceedings, since his own terrorist activities have yet to come before a Thai court.

Well it seems on that score what is good for the goose is not good for the ganda,

[asiawatcher]

we wont interfere in the cambodian legal system but if they don't get a move on and give us a favourable result it will affect diplomatic ties. surely a threat to diplomacy is interfering in their legal process.

When will Thailand grow up, accept their people did wrong and accept the punishment that goes with it.

Agree - especially as it happened previously and they got off lightly, this time Cambodia want to make an example it is NOT okay to cross the border. You really can't blame Cambodia but I wish Thailand would just hand over the temple and set it up as a tourist destination and split the proceeds - I mean - it is an old temple right? Is it worth fighting over and there are hundreds of them scattered across both countries. One less for Thailand and one more for Cambo - big deal.

[Thai at Heart]

Very true. "7 Thais are at risk" of an extended stay in Cambodia.

Considering that the armies were shooting at each other only a year or so ago, and the current FM wanted to wash his feet using Hun Sen's blood, this fiasco barely registers in comparison with some recent political fiascos between Thailand and Cambodia.

In the long run, the best thing could be that these 7 stay in Cambodia under lock and key for a very long time.

[brianb1944]

The incursion certainly seems to have been a deliberately provocative act by the 6 and their Government minder, who seemed to be between a rock and a hard place. Let them suffer the consequences of their arrogance.

[phiphidon]

"Government spokesman Panithan Wattanayakorn said Panich had told Abhisit that he would visit the border area in Prachin Buri province."

Can someone else help me out here as I was not aware that Prachin Buri had a border area???

Ah, so you have seen through his cunning alibi? In truth Prachin Buri does have borders with Nakhon Ratchasima, Sa Kaeo, Chachoengsao and Nakhon Nayok. Unfortunately none of these are in Cambodia.

[Buchholz]

we wont interfere in the cambodian legal system but if they don't get a move on and give us a favourable result it will affect diplomatic ties. surely a threat to diplomacy is interfering in their legal process.

When will Thailand grow up, accept their people did wrong and accept the punishment that goes with it.

I would have thought little Kasit would rather approve of delayed legal proceedings, since his own terrorist activities have yet to come before a Thai court.

Neither have the Red Leaders case come before a Thai court from their "terrorist activities" a year and half earlier in July 2007.

[Thai at Heart]

"Government spokesman Panithan Wattanayakorn said Panich had told Abhisit that he would visit the border area in Prachin Buri province."

Can someone else help me out here as I was not aware that Prachin Buri had a border area???

Ah, so you have seen through his cunning alibi? In truth Prachin Buri does have borders with Nakhon Ratchasima, Sa Kaeo, Chachoengsao and Nakhon Nayok. Unfortunately none of these are in Cambodia.

Give the guy a break. He is a Democrat Bangkok MP. Rural geography probably isn't one of his stronger points.

Edited January 5, 2011 by Thai at Heart