Cambodia vetoes pardon for Veera

PHNOM PENH / The Cambodian government has rejected Thailand's request to ask King Norodom Sihamoni to grant a royal pardon to the two members of the Thai Patriots Network jailed in Cambodia for espionage, Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong says.

``According to Cambodian law, whoever is convicted of a crime, he or she has to serve two-thirds of jail term before dhbeing considered for a royal pardon,'' Hor Namhong told dhreporters yesterday at Phnom Penh International Airport before leaving for border meetings with Thailand in Indonesia.

``So they [the two Thais] have not met the qualification for royal amnesty,'' he added.

His remarks, quoted by the Xinhua news agency were later confirmed by Panich Vikitsreth, a Democrat MP.

Veera Somkwamkid and his secretary Ratree Pipatanapaiboon are now being detained at Prey Sar prison on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.

Read More...

25 reasons why 7 clumsy Thais should be released

Starting 2011 this way is too deja vu for comfort, so here's my open plea to the Cambodian government. Please set free the 7 clumsy Thais immediately for the following reasons:

1. We've had enough laughs. Please free them before things get really serious, which they otherwise will, soon.

2. New Year spirit. Come on.

3. With Thaksin Shinawatra no longer your economic adviser, he can't just land on your soil and play the hero again.

Read More...

Sacrava: " Siem Army "

Siem Army

Read More...

Kasit threatens to review relations with Cambodia if no progress in two days

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.

Read More...

The Illegal Entry

Read More...

Clips show Panich [arrested Thai MP] in Cambodia

MP's video phone call suggests Abhisit knew 

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva knew Democrat MP Panich Vikitsreth had intruded on Cambodian territory before Mr Panich and six other Thais were arrested by Cambodian soldiers, video footage posted on YouTube shows.

One of the video clips shows Mr Panich making a phone call to his secretary, named in the conversation as Q. Mr Panich asked Q to inform the prime minister through Mr Abhisit's secretary, Somkiat Krongwatanasuk, that they had crossed the border into Cambodia.

"Please tell Somkiat to inform the prime minister that we are already inside Cambodia. I planned to call the prime minister myself but it is okay now," Mr Panich says on the phone to his secretary .
"Call him [Somkiat] so in case there are problems, we can coordinate because we are already in a Cambodian area. And make sure that he does not tell anybody because only the prime minister must know this."

Read More...

Puea Thai slams captured MP Panich

Democrat Party MP Panich Vikitsreth, one of the seven Thais held in Cambodia, should have known better than to have entered the disputed frontier area where he was captured, Puea Thai Party spokesman Prompong Nopparit said on Thursday.
"It is quite unusal for a man like Mr Panich, who was formerly an assistant to the foreign minister, to be arrested. He should  know the law and the situation between Thailand and Cambodia regarding the disputed border," Mr Prompong said.

Read More...

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.

Read More...

Thai MP arrested at border

A Thai parliamentarian and six other Thais were arrested yesterday for allegedly trespassing on Cambodian territory in Banteay Meanchey province while examining the countries’ shared border, the latest turn in the protracted boundary conflict between the two nations.

Among those arrested were Panich Vikitsreth, an MP from Thailand’s ruling Democrat Party, and Veera Somkwamkid, a former leader of the “Yellow Shirt” People’s Alliance for Democracy who now leads the Thailand Patriot Network, a PAD splinter group. Banteay Meanchey provincial police chief Hun Hean said the group of five men and two women was apprehended in the the province’s O’Chrou district, across the border from Thailand’s Sa Kaeo province.

Read More...

Cambodia PM: No border and Diplomatic Tension over Thai Arrests

CAMBODIA, PHNOM PENH, Dec 29, 2010-Cambodian PM Hun Sen on Wednesday announced that Cambodia authorities have arrested seven Thais including a lawmaker from ruling party of Democrat of Thailand, and a yellow shirt leader, reporters and other activities in the movement of land love from Thailand after they entered illegally in Cambodia and acts against Cambodia.
“Our authorities arrested them in Cambodia soil. They entered Cambodian soil illegally without passport, and also conducted the opposed activities of against Cambodian soldiers in Cambodia,” PM Hun Sen told the closing ceremony of annual meeting of ministry of rural development in Phnom Penh.

Read More...