Justice Ministry in bid to get Veera, Ratree to serve jail terms in Thailand

By The Nation on Sunday

The Justice Ministry is working for the transfer of Veera Somkwamkid and Ratree Pipattanapaibul from Cambodia so that both of them can serve their remaining jail terms in Thailand, ministry sources said yesterday.

Both Thais are serving their terms in Cambodia following sentencing by a Cambodian court. The nationalist activists were arrested in December last year on charges of trespassing and espionage, with eight- and six-year jail terms respectively.

Their requests for a royal pardon were earlier rejected.

However, Thai-Cambodian relations have improved since the Pheu Thai Party came to power after the July 3 election, prompting the Yingluck government to take steps to help the Thais.

A ministry source said Justice Minister Pracha Promnok met Suchart Wong-anan, the incoming director-general of the Corrections Department, to examine the legal aspects of transferring both Thais to serve their remaining jail terms in Thailand.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Yuthasak Sasiprapha said Prime Minister Hun Sen of Cambodia had also agreed to consider a request for the exchange of Thai and Cambodian prisoners.

During a meeting last Wednesday, Thai authorities raised the issue of helping another Thai 37 prisoners in Cambodia in addition to Veera and Ratree.

However, Thailand's Justice and Interior ministries have yet to give their opinion on the prisoner-exchange proposal, according to the defence minister.

The ruling Pheu Thai Party's MPs yesterday also held a friendship football match in Cambodia in which the Cambodian government's team led by premier Hun Sen won 10-6.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra had earlier made an official visit to Phnom Penh to strengthen the bilateral relations, while her brother, ex-premier Thaksin later also met with Hun Sen and attended an economic conference in the Cambodian capital.

-- The Nation 2011-09-25

Will they be putting him in a cell with red shirt prisoners? They would have a lot to talk about I am sure.

Cambodia arrested him,

Cambodia tried him,

Cambodia jailed him.

I don't really see why Thailand wants to take on the expense of feeding & housing him.