Thailand And Cambodia Shoot For Football Diplomacy

[rubl]

The red shirts requested permission to travel to Cambodia from today to next Monday and from September 23 to 25.

A friendly football match is scheduled for September 24 in Phnom Penh between red-shirt politicians and members of the Cambodian government.

Makes you wonder what would have happened if the courts had rejected this last-minute request? Maybe the Cambodian PM or Foreign Minister has put in a good word for them, seeing that PM Hun Sen has already scheduled to attend the match ? Rumour has it this friendly, privately organised fun game will see k. Thaksin doing the toss.

Edited September 15, 2011 by rubl

[Buchholz]

Court permits UDD leaders to visit Cambodia twice

BANGKOK, 15 September 2011 (NNT) – The Criminal Court has allowed core leaders of the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) who are charged for terrorism to make two visits to Cambodia to participate in a friendly football match.

UDD lawyer on Wednesday arrived at the Ratchada Criminal Court to submit a request for permission for UDD core leaders, who were facing terrorism charges and prohibited from leaving the country, to travel to Cambodia twice during 15-16 September and 22-27 September.

Four red-shirt leaders, namely Mr Veerakarn Musikapong, MD Weng Tojirakarn, Mr Natthawut Saikua and Mr Yosawarit Chuklom, will make the first trip in order to coordinate with Cambodian officials on the upcoming friendship football match between the UDD and the Cambodian government.

The second trip will be joined by Mr Natthawut, MD Weng, Mr Yosawarit, Mr Korkaew Pikulthong, Mr Nisit Sinthuprai, Mr Kwanchai Praipana, Mr Wiphuthalaeng Pattanaphumthai and Mr Phumkitti Sukchindathong. The group will take part in the game on 24 September.

With cash worth 600,000 THB placed as collateral for each individual, the Court agreed to the request. However, the UDD core leaders are obligated to report themselves to the Court upon their return.

-- NNT 2011-09-15

[hammered]

Will the game be live on Thai TV? Those old government versus opposition ones used to be and quite amusing they were too. Hopefully this one will be too.

Who in their right mind would want to watch such a waste of taxpayers moneys...? Oh, I forgot about you Hammered... has the name to do with your condition..

are you still following me around making derogatory comments?

Why wouldnt it be good entertainment? The old political football games used to be quite amusing and sports diplomacy is used throughout the world. Cambodia and Thailand were shelling each other a few months ago. Having their MPs play each other at football sends a different message. Why not let people watch? It might not be a bad idea to involve a few generals from both sides too

[rubl]

Why wouldnt it be good entertainment? The old political football games used to be quite amusing and sports diplomacy is used throughout the world. Cambodia and Thailand were shelling each other a few months ago. Having their MPs play each other at football sends a different message. Why not let people watch? It might not be a bad idea to involve a few generals from both sides too

It may be good entertainment, if you like football that is. Mind you this is a private affair, don't see too much politics, or reconciliation in this. From the OP (i.e. item #1):

Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has distanced itself from the football match, which it says is a private affair. But the match underscores the long ties between Mr Hun Sen and Thaksin.

[Buchholz]

It may be good entertainment, if you like football that is. Mind you this is a private affair, don't see too much politics, or reconciliation in this. From the OP (i.e. item #1):

Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has distanced itself from the football match, which it says is a private affair. But the match underscores the long ties between Mr Hun Sen and Thaksin.

which underscores the life-long ties between Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs being headed by Thaksin's cousin.

.

Edited September 15, 2011 by Buchholz

[webfact]

Ten thousand reds to cheer football match in Phnom Penh

By The Nation

Pheu Thai MP Weng Tojirakan on Thursday said more than 10,000 red shirts would next week attend the friendly football match in Phnom Penh.

The Thai team will comprise red shirts-turned-Pheu Thai MPs and the Cambodian side will be represented by Cabinet members and ranking officials.

"The friendly match will signal that the two countries have resumed good neighbouring ties," Weng said.

He said Thailand and Cambodia would not go back to bickering like what happened under the Abhisit Vejjajiva government.

He said he could not confirm or deny whether the red shirts would meet former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra since he did not know Thaksin's schedule in the Cambodian capital.

He was speaking after the Criminal Court approved his petition to travel to Cambodia in two separate trips tomorrow and again next Friday. In the first trip, he would be part of an advance team. The second trip would be to take part in the match.

Three other members of the advance team, Veera Musigapong, Natthawut Saikua and Yoswaris "Jeng Dokjik" Chuklom, had earlier obtained the court permission to travel abroad. Weng's trip was delayed for a day because of incomplete documentation.

-- The Nation 2011-09-15

[Buchholz]

Pheu Thai MP Weng Tojirakan on Thursday said more than 10,000 red shirts would next week attend the friendly football match in Phnom Penh.

How are they transporting 10,000 Thais into the capital of Cambodia?

Or are these Cambodian Red Shirts?

.

Edited September 15, 2011 by Buchholz

[Buchholz]

Red-shirt Leaders Request Court Permission to Attend Cambodian Football Match

The red-shirt group's lawyer plans to file a petition asking for the court's permission to allow two more red-shirt leaders to attend a football match on September 24 that has been organized to promote diplomacy.

Red-shirt lawyer Winyat Chartmontree said that he will refile a petition asking for the court's permission to allow red-shirt leaders who are out on bail to attend a football match for diplomacy in Cambodia on September 24.

He added that the six key leaders include Veera Musigapong, Natthawut Saikua, Weng Tojirakan, Kwanchai Praipana, Korkaew Pikulthong and Yoswaris Chuklom, or Jeng Dokjik, all of whom were allowed to visit Cambodia in order to prepare for a friendly football match between Thailand and Cambodia from September 15 to 19, are already back from Phnom Penh.

Tomorrow, all of the red-shirt leaders are scheduled to report themselves to the court after their first round of traveling abroad.

In addition, they will have to file a second petition requesting that the court grant them permission to leave again, from September 24 to 26, in order to attend the match between the two countries.

Moreover, the red shirt lawyer will ask the court to approve the travel petition for red-shirt leaders and Pheu Thai MPs, Wiphuthalaeng Pattanaphumethai and Nisit Sinthuprai so that they can also travel to Cambodia.

Winyat expressed confidence that the court would grant them bail, while he expects that the defense will be required to post 600,000 baht in cash as security.

-- Tan Network 2011-09-19

[Buchholz]

Arisaman will not return to Thailand as of now

BANGKOK, 20 September 2011 (NNT)-Pheu Thai MP and United front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) leader Mr. Nattawut Saikuea has reported himself to the Criminal Court after his trip to Cambodia during which he claimed to have met Mr. Arisaman Pongruengrong, the UDD fugitive, who remained on the run.

Mr. Nattawut claimed he had also met with the exiled leader, Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra, who had asked him to pass along his well wishes to the Thai people and the government.

The UDD leader also said that although he had tried to convince Mr. Arisaman to turn himself to the authority, his fellow UDD member was hesitant to return to Thailand for his own reasons.

Mr. Nattawut said he would be ready to assist Mr. Arisaman whenever he was ready.

Meanwhile, the lawyer of the UDD revealed later that those who had returned from Cambodia recently; consisting of UDD members and Pheu Thai MPs, would submit a petition again to ask the Criminal Court for permission to make another trip to Cambodia.

-- NNT 2011-09-20

[Buchholz]

Football Diplomacy = Opportunity for an indicted terrorist suspect out on bail to leave the country and meet with other indicted terrorist suspects who are both fugitives.

.

[rubl]

Red-shirt lawyer Winyat Chartmontree said that he will refile a petition asking for the court's permission to allow red-shirt leaders who are out on bail to attend a football match for diplomacy in Cambodia on September 24.

As the Foreign ministry has declared that this match is a private affair I would like to protest to the lawyer's reference to a 'match for diplomacy'. It seems a deliberate attempt to give the match more status than it deserves. It's like step by step suggesting that any private red-shirt / UDD leader activity is for the benefit of Thailand, and just by the way might increase k. Thaksin's status of deeply wronged fugitive criminal.

[Buchholz]

The UDD leader also said that although he had tried to convince Mr. Arisaman to turn himself to the authority, his fellow UDD member was hesitant to return to Thailand for his own reasons.

I wonder if it's marital in nature.

His wife was made a Pheu Thai Party-list MP in his absence and it can't be easy for their marriage with the year-plus separation caused by his fleeing. If only that Parliamentary Immunity could be extended to spouses.

.

[Bagwan]

Thanks to this unedifying news that incompetent but powerful crooks will settle their differences by a game of soccer, I cannot get the memory of the footballing nuns from a Monty Python episode out of my mind.

If this novel approach to solving world problems works can we expect to see Taliban United vs Washington City any time soon?

No, you can't. We consider that sport to be a woman's game, or for children. No offence intended, but if you don't know that by now, you should.

And exactly who are 'We"? Whoever you are, I suggest you Google for Norman Hunter, Nobby Styles, Chopper Harris and a few other gentle folk. Maybe you are from the country where excessively tall males play netball and others play rounders - under different names of course. How very butch. No offence of course.

Why I should have an intimate knowledge of what those of a different country and culture think about particular sports is beyond my ken.

Was wondering who that would piss off. We would be Americans. As in the Washington city (Assumed this was supposed to mean Washington DC, but I could have been wrong) people. I am guessing you meant basket ball and baseball as well. Or maybe volleyball? Remember that we Americans had to Google that guy, uh... The football player who went to play for the LA galaxy soccer team. Hell, I didn't even know we had a soccer team in LA, and I am from there. I honestly am not intending to insult, I am just letting you know we really do not know or care much for that sport, and as a nation we really do think of it as a child's/woman's game. Men play baseball and American Football, women play soccer aka to the rest of the world as football. And as to why you should know, well if you wanted to make a relevant comment about the two countries playing a sport game to determine anything, you should pick a sport that both would want to play. Ahh I remember now, David Beckham. International superstar right? Could walk down any street in America and be left alone cause no one would know who he was. Most still probably don't.

How very Little American can you be? Association football is easily the World's most popular game. The US actually puts out an Association Football team in the World Cup and they're not too shabby either.How come you're so misinformed that you didn't know that the L.A. franchise shelled out millions to get Beckham's services. Raised enough comment, and smiles, in the U.K. There are many past their sell by date footballers being paid king's ransoms to come to play in your insular country. BTW can we sell you another bridge?

I'm one of the old school and prefer games that take at least 3 days to get a decision. How about a game of cricket or would it be too girly for a hard cricket ball to come hurtling in your direction at 100 mph? Tennis? Nah. You're not very good at that these days. Golf? Nope. You can't play that at all well these days either. Have you seen anything of the Rugby World Championship tourney currently taking place or is that also for the ladies?

I shouldn't think that anybody in Europe would give a second glance to any of your baseball or gridiron players. I understand that many of the better players are imports from Latin America or Japan.

[looping]

I'm one of the old school and prefer games that take at least 3 days to get a decision. How about a game of cricket or would it be too girly for a hard cricket ball to come hurtling in your direction at 100 mph? Tennis? Nah. You're not very good at that these days. Golf? Nope. You can't play that at all well these days either. Have you seen anything of the Rugby World Championship tourney currently taking place or is that also for the ladies?

I shouldn't think that anybody in Europe would give a second glance to any of your baseball or gridiron players. I understand that many of the better players are imports from Latin America or Japan.

Let's not give the Americans a hard time. I think he was comparing soccer to the much more manly sport of American Football...you know, the one that's like rugby but with a helmet and SHOULDER PADS

Edited September 20, 2011 by looping

[Buchholz]

Let's not give the Americans a hard time. I think he was comparing soccer to the much more manly sport of American Football...you know, the one that's like rugby but with a helmet and SHOULDER PADS

There's a very practical reason for such protection.

If rugby had players that are 2.1 meters tall, weigh 177 kilos, and benchpress 500 pounds, there would be fatalities in every game.

Still, having said the realities, hpwheelman's post is both off-topic and outlandishly constructed to specifically elicit the sort of replies it did, AKA .........

Anyway, back to the thread topic of Thailand/Cambodia's football match of indicted terrorists versus Cambodian bureaucrats that's allegedly supposed to attract more Red Shirts to Cambodia than attended their rally last week in Bangkok.

.

Edited September 20, 2011 by Buchholz

[yoshiwara]

Would this be the Thaksin Shinawatra who when PM declared he was going to buy Liverpool Football Club until it was discovered that he was going to do this with previously undeclared state money. Once the furore died down he dropped the idea once he knew he had to dip into his own pocket. A nasty crook from beginning to end.

[cdnvic]

If rugby had players that are 2.1 meters tall, weigh 177 kilos, and benchpress 500 pounds, there would be fatalities in every game

They have them, but they're smart enough not to run at each other and collide into each other's heads. If you watch a rugby game you'll notice lots of tackling but no hitting.

I've had the opportunity to play both sports, and it makes just as much sense to wear padding in gridiron football as it makes none to wear it in rugby.

[phiphidon]

Football Diplomacy = Opportunity for an indicted terrorist suspect out on bail to leave the country and meet with other indicted terrorist suspects who are both fugitives.

.

I suppose he could have used a mobile phone and saved the flight fare.............

[phiphidon]

Red-shirt lawyer Winyat Chartmontree said that he will refile a petition asking for the court's permission to allow red-shirt leaders who are out on bail to attend a football match for diplomacy in Cambodia on September 24.

As the Foreign ministry has declared that this match is a private affair I would like to protest to the lawyer's reference to a 'match for diplomacy'. It seems a deliberate attempt to give the match more status than it deserves. It's like step by step suggesting that any private red-shirt / UDD leader activity is for the benefit of Thailand, and just by the way might increase k. Thaksin's status of deeply wronged fugitive criminal.

As it is a private affair I would suggest that they can call it what they want and that you are reading far too much into this. I understand that there is talk of other matches against Vietnam etc - perhaps they could call it the Diplomacy World Cup (Well America has a World Series, that no one else can play in) and they could get Kasit to present it. Just a thought. Rubl, you need to chill a bit.

[hammered]

After seeing Cambodia and Thailand shelling each other and killing each others people a few months back, how can this not be a good thing? Good relations between neighbours are pretty important. People would have to be completely partisan to not at least give the reds a polite nod for doing this. Anything that tries to improve relations with a neighbour has to be a good thing. Even people who dont like the reds must recognize the value in this

[rubl]

After seeing Cambodia and Thailand shelling each other and killing each others people a few months back, how can this not be a good thing? Good relations between neighbours are pretty important. People would have to be completely partisan to not at least give the reds a polite nod for doing this. Anything that tries to improve relations with a neighbour has to be a good thing. Even people who dont like the reds must recognize the value in this

Good you clarify this issue. For a moment I thought that meeting k. Thaksin, catching up with k. Arisman and in general thumbing ones nose at non-red-shirts was the main objective. And of course the 'eternal friendship' between Cambodian PM Hun Sen and his fugitive criminal friend k. Thaksin who knows all about the Thai governments plans and seems willing to devulge them to Cambodian government officials (in private of course). How wrong I was

[Siripon]

Will the game be live on Thai TV? Those old government versus opposition ones used to be and quite amusing they were too. Hopefully this one will be too.

Who in their right mind would want to watch such a waste of taxpayers moneys...? Oh, I forgot about you Hammered... has the name to do with your condition..

are you still following me around making derogatory comments?

Why wouldnt it be good entertainment? The old political football games used to be quite amusing and sports diplomacy is used throughout the world. Cambodia and Thailand were shelling each other a few months ago. Having their MPs play each other at football sends a different message. Why not let people watch? It might not be a bad idea to involve a few generals from both sides too

Hammered, you don't think the shelling might have stopped from Cambodia because the Thai government has changed? It seems rather odd that once Pheua Thai won the election, all hostilities ceased.

Is it not possible that Hun Sen was deliberately shelling Thailand because he didn't like the Democrat government?

And doesn't that make the embraces between Hun Sen, Thaksin and the other red shirt leaders more repugnant than the embrace between Apisit and Newin?

[Buchholz]

Football Diplomacy = Opportunity for an indicted terrorist suspect out on bail to leave the country and meet with other indicted terrorist suspects who are both fugitives.

I suppose he could have used a mobile phone and saved the flight fare.............

Some matters are best discussed face to face. Criminal enterprises often insist on it for purposes of secrecy.

Even then, miscommunications can still occur as witnessed by Red Shirt Leader Korkaew contradicting Red Shirt Leader Natthawut regarding the status of Red Shirt Leader Arisaman.