Main Obstacle [to negotiation with Cambodia] is Veera : Suthep

Negotiations with Cambodia to free seven Thais including a Democrat MP, have not gone well mainly because one of the group has previously been arrested for illegally entering Cambodia, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said on Thursday.

He was referring to a yellow-shirt leader, Veera Somkwamkit, who is known for his strong views on the Preah Vihear controversy and border disputes.
"The negotiation is facing more difficulties because Khun Veera has been held by Cambodian soldiers for entering a nearby site," Suthep said.
Veera was earlier detained by Cambodian soldiers after being spotted on Cambodian soil. He was freed after lengthy negotiations.
On Wednesday, the Cambodian soldiers took into custody MP Panich Vikitsreth and six yellow-shirt activists including Veera while they were inspecting a paddy field in Ban Nong Chan village of Sa Kaeo's Khok Sung district. The site has been claimed by both countries for decades following the settlement in Ban Nong Chan by a group of Cambodians fleeing the war.
The seven are now in prison in Phnom Penh and are scheduled to appear in court today.
Suthep told reporters that Panich and his team appeared to enter about 200-300 metres into Cambodia.
A senior security source meanwhile said that the site is a disputed area claimed by both countries, the area into which the group entered appeared to be behind the disputed line, deeper into Khmer territory.

The Nation