Appeal Filed For 2 Thais Jailed In Cambodia

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Appeal Filed for 2 Thais Jailed in Cambodia

The Thai Patriots Network has already lodged an appeal against the Cambodian court's jail sentence against two Thais found guilty of trespassing on Cambodia's territory and espionage.

Core leader of the Thai Patriots Network, or TPN, Karun Sai-ngam, as a legal adviser to two Thai activists jailed in Cambodia, Weera Somkwamkid and Ratree Pipattanapaiboon, said he filed an appeal with the Cambodian court yesterday to seek reversal on their jail sentence.

Weera was slapped with eight years in prison and Ratree with six years for illegal entry into a military zone and espionage.

Karun said he has not met those two Thais in the prison yet as the Thai embassy in Cambodia barred him from doing so and added they have not signed a petition to seek royal pardon from the Cambodian king.

Karun went on to say his group will hold a press conference this evening outside Government House on whether Weera is seriously ill

The group has asked the International Red Cross to help seek confirmation on Weera's present health condition.

Meanwhile, the Civil Court today held an emergency hearing into the petition by TPN leader Chaiwat Sinsuwong and president of the People Assembly of Thailand, Admiral Bannawit Kengrien, asking for invalidation of all orders issued under the Internal Security Act that ban any gathering in the restricted areas.

-- Tan Network 2011-03-02

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Thai Activist Jailed in Cambodia Seriously Ill

A Democrat MP reveals that the heath condition of Veera Somkwamkid is deteriorating as he has not been properly treated in the Cambodian prison.

His family also insists on a royal pardon request attempt.

Democrat MP Panich Wikitset said the heath condition of political activist Veera Somkwamkid, who is still imprisoned in a Cambodian prison, is deteriorating.

Panich went on to say that Veera has about 10 illnesses, such as Rheumatoid arthritis, rashes on his body and respiratory ailment.

The Democrat MP said Veera has not been treated properly in the prison which resulted in the deterioration of his health condition.

Panich stated that Veera's family told him that they will seek a royal pardon for Veera and now the legal team is still gathering eveidence and documents to support the pardon request.

Moreover, Veera's family is planning to visit him this Friday.

A Cambodian court on February 1 sentenced Veera and another activist from the Thai Patriots Network to up to eight years in prison after finding them guilty of espionage and illegal entry.

-- Tan Network 2011-03-02

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Thai Foreign Ministry: Veera and Ratree are not appealing their sentences in the Cambodian court; seeking royal pardon is individual decision, government will give full support /MCOT

[Oberkommando]

Take responsibility for once in your life!

Will he not have to plead guilty to receive a Royal pardon?

[lovelomsak]

I am sure if he gets plenty of rest and drinks lots of water in 8 years he will be feeling better and have his health back. This is probably just an adjustment his body is going through he will be fine he has 8 years to get better and I am sure Cambodia as a whole are interested in see him healthy enough to make it through these times.

[cardholder]

Probably not the best of health for going border trekking !

[Credo]

I have no affection for Veera and only a little sympathy. He is a little bit elderly and I don't doubt that prison is hard on him. But it's amazing how quickly the ideology can fade.

His secretary, on the other hand, is probably less complicit in the whole situation.

It will be interesting to find out how they fare on the Pardon.

[Deez]

Hopefully the experience will let them realize the world does not revolve around their small minds

[Scott]

I thought I had read somewhere that the International Red Cross was going to visit them. Did this happen? Did they issue a report to anyone on the conditions of the two detainees?

[TAWP]

He might be suffering from Bullshitaitias.

[RedNIvar]

The Democrat MP said Veera has not been treated properly in the prison which resulted in the deterioration of his health condition.

What does he expect, it's prison not the Marriott!

[Credo]

And I wonder how the level of medical care compares with the prisons in Thailand?

[stepenwolf1958]

Karun said he has not met those two Thais in the prison yet as the Thai embassy in Cambodia barred him from doing so and added they have not signed a petition to seek royal pardon from the Cambodian king.

This has to be some joke, right? Thai Embassy barred him to see those people in jail? Why Thai Embassy would do it at all?

And, what Thai Embassy has with his visit of those people???

[jayjay0]

I thought I had read somewhere that the International Red Cross was going to visit them. Did this happen? Did they issue a report to anyone on the conditions of the two detainees?

Just what reason could the international Red Cross have for visiting them. There are millions of people imprisoned around the world and there is a lot of them who are sick also. Why would two people be so important for them to visit.

What did they think when they deliberately trespassed in a military zone. Did they think that if they were caught they would be put in a high income resort? They like any one else deserve no more help than the person in the cell next to them.

Being a Asian prison I am quite sure it is not a pleasant experience and they should have taken that into account.

Just a thought. What reason could they possibly have for trespassing into another country and making it public on there cell phone. From what I understand of the country they were in it really has nothing. That being the case why go?

Taking that into account maybe espionage makes sense. They might have information that the TV posters don't have.

Just a thought.

[webfact]

Jailed Thais won't appeal verdict

By SUPALAK GANJANAKHUNDEE

THE NATION

The two Thai nationalists jailed in Cambodia on espionage charges have had a change of heart and will not contest their convictions, their attorney said on the last day for appeal yesterday.

"They decided days ago not to file an appeal against the verdict," an official at the office of Ros Aun, the attorney, told The Nation via telephone. "The case is final."

Activists Veera Somkwamkid and Ratree Pipatanapaiboon were sentenced by the Phnom Penh Capital Court of First Instance on February 1 to eight and six years imprisonment respectively.

They had 30 days to file an appeal.

They were arrested along with five other Thais, including Democrat lawmaker Panich Vikitsreth, on December 29 while inspecting a disputed border area near Sa Kaew's Ban Nong Chan village.

Veera had initially vowed to keep on fighting for justice on grounds that Cambodia had no authority to try him and he had been arrested on Thai territory.

Panich said relatives of his clients have submitted a request for a royal pardon.

"The royal pardon is the only channel now to free them," he said.

Veera should be released as soon as possible as he was not in good health, he said.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen had said earlier that the activists could not seek a royal pardon until they had served two-thirds of their terms.

However the case was still mired in confusion yesterday as the colleagues of the two from the Thai Patriot Network (TPN) said they would file an appeal.

TPN's Karun Saingam said he just returned from Cambodia and learned that Veera and Ratree would lodge an appeal to carry on their struggle in court. The pair would never ask for a pardon from the Cambodian king, he said, but noted that he did not actually meet the two detainees during his visit to Phnom Penh.

The TPN has been camping out near Government House for more than two months to protest the government's stance in the conflict with Cambodia. They want the government to put pressure on the other side to free the activists, rather than allow the Cambodian court to judge them.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Karun was not authorised to make an appeal for the two activists.

"If any party really cared about Veera and Ratree's fate, we should respect their decision," he said.

Thailand and Cambodia have been at loggerheads over their boundary for a long time. Border skirmishes near Preah Vihear Temple erupted early February claiming some 10 lives, including those of three civilians on both sides.

-- The Nation 2011-03-03

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PM Pledges Further Help for 2 Thais Jailed in Cambodia

The prime minister insists the families of the two Thais currently jailed in Cambodia for intruding on its territory will decide how to help them and his government is ready to proceed in accordance with their decision.

During the House meeting today, Ruam Chart Pattana MP for Nakhon Ratchasima Somchai Chatpattanasiri questioned the prime minister about the effort to help two Thai activists Weera Somkwamkid and Ratree Pipattanapaiboon, who have been imprisoned in Cambodia as a result of its court's verdict on their territory intrusion charges.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva replied that his government has tried every way to help both individuals, but their charges are different from those filed against five other Thais who have been released earlier, as the two were found to have carried cameras in an area that Cambodia claimed to be its territory.

The prime minister said there are two channels to bring them back, namely an appeal against their imprisonment sentence and a petition for royal pardon from the Cambodian king.

He said the present main obstacle is the contradictory directions in the legal aid efforts between the government's legal team and that of the Thai Patriots Network of which the two are its key members.

Abhisit reiterated the families of the activists will decide which way to help them and the government is ready to abide by their decision.

Deputy Prime Minister in charge of national security Suthep Thaugsuban said the assistance for the two Thais is now handled by the Foreign Ministry and the Thai embassy in Cambodia.

Suthep said the government cannot meet the demand of every party and commented that Cambodia will most likely grant amnesty for them.

-- Tan Network 2011-03-03

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Protest Group Denies Pardon Request by 2 Jailed in Cambodia

The People's Alliance for Democracy says it has tried to lend all the help it can for the two Thais detained in Cambodia and calls on the government to unveil the letter seeking royal pardon for the two.

People's Alliance for Democracy, or PAD, leader Chamlong Srimuang affirmed the group has been trying its best to help Veera Somkwamkid and Ratree Pipattanapaiboon, detained in a Cambodian prison, but it has been difficult due to the fact that it does not have an official role or authority.

Chamlong refuted Democrat MP Panich Vikitsreth's request that the PAD not put pressure on the government on this issue, saying the PAD has never done so.

PAD spokesman Parnthep Puapongpan called on the government to unveil the letter it claimed the two signed for royal pardon because Thai Patriots Network lawyer Karun Sai-ngarm said there was no signing of such a document as no one has been given permission to visit the two.

Parnthep also slammed Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban's comment that the case of the two is beyond the jurisdiction of the Thai government.

He also questioned Cambodia's trip for military attaches to visit Preah Vihear and Kaew Sikkha Khiri Sawara temples, saying the fact that they entered those areas without seeking Thailand's permission shows Cambodia does not acknowledge that the temple are in disputed territory.

-- Tan Network 2011-03-03

[Scott]

I thought I had read somewhere that the International Red Cross was going to visit them. Did this happen? Did they issue a report to anyone on the conditions of the two detainees?

Just what reason could the international Red Cross have for visiting them. There are millions of people imprisoned around the world and there is a lot of them who are sick also. Why would two people be so important for them to visit.

What did they think when they deliberately trespassed in a military zone. Did they think that if they were caught they would be put in a high income resort? They like any one else deserve no more help than the person in the cell next to them.

Being a Asian prison I am quite sure it is not a pleasant experience and they should have taken that into account.

Just a thought. What reason could they possibly have for trespassing into another country and making it public on there cell phone. From what I understand of the country they were in it really has nothing. That being the case why go?

Taking that into account maybe espionage makes sense. They might have information that the TV posters don't have.

Just a thought.

Here's a link to the post about the Red Cross being requested to visit them:

Any idea if this visit ever took place?

[Oberkommando]

He also questioned Cambodia's trip for military attaches to visit Preah Vihear and Kaew Sikkha Khiri Sawara temples, saying the fact that they entered those areas without seeking Thailand's permission shows Cambodia does not acknowledge that the temple are in disputed territory.

Ah, they are slowly starting to figure out that the only people disputing the ownership of Preah Vihear are the Thais.

[animatic]

The Democrat MP said Veera has not been treated properly in the prison which resulted in the deterioration of his health condition.

What does he expect, it's prison not the Marriott!

Exactly. He had arthritis before he went out there. getting a rash in prison sounds about typical. The respiratory infection could be serious, or it could just be dust mites in his bed roll and he's allergic. Either way he decided to pull the tigers tail inside the tigers cage. Makes no difference if the tiger OWNS the cage or not, it's the tigers territory none the less.

[animatic]

Protest Group Denies Pardon Request by 2 Jailed in Cambodia

...PAD spokesman Parnthep Puapongpan called on the government to unveil the letter it claimed the two signed for royal pardon because Thai Patriots Network lawyer Karun Sai-ngarm said there was no signing of such a document as no one has been given permission to visit the two.

Parnthep also slammed Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban's comment that the case of the two is beyond the jurisdiction of the Thai government.

-- Tan Network 2011-03-03

These people actually think the Thai government has some control over what happens in Cambodian prisons and that Cambodian prisoners can't write letters with out Thai assistance and permission.

NEWS FLASH:

'PAD Spokesman publicly proves totally delusional.

Out of kindness medical authorities let him wander free in Bangkok to search for food around tent encampments. Deputy PM Suthep notes: 'There's nothing to say, because we can't understand his statements.'

Edited March 3, 2011 by animatic

[random]

sick you say???

lets hope it's nothing trivial

[Oberkommando]

A fair sentence for a persistent offender IMO.