Sivarak cancels complaint plans

NAKHON RATCHASIMA : The Thai engineer convicted on charges of spying says he has forgiven everybody involved in the events which led to him being jailed for about a month.

Sivarak Chutipong yesterday said before entering the monkhood the only thing he had in mind now was forgiveness, and was not planning to lodge any complaints with the Foreign Ministry.

Mr Sivarak, who works for Cambodia Air Traffic Services (CATS) in Phnom Penh, was ordained at Satthatham forest temple in Muang district where he will spend 9 days.

Upon his return to Thailand on Dec 14 after being freed from jail after he was granted a pardon by the Cambodian king, the 31-year-old engineer called on Kamrob Palawatwichai, the first secretary at the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh, to come out to clarify the circumstances that led to the spy charge and take responsibility.

Mr Kamrob was expelled by Cambodia for seeking confirmation about whether ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's flight had landed.

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Hun Sen launches another savage blast at Abhisit

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has launched a fresh attack on the Thai government, saying relations will continue to simmer while the Abhisit government remains in office.

Relations between the two countries, which have fought a string of deadly gun battles along their border since last year, plunged last month when fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra became an economic adviser to Cambodia.

Both recalled their ambassadors last month and diplomatic tensions were further raised when Phnom Penh refused to extradite Thaksin during his first visit as economic adviser.

"I tell you [Mr Abhisit] I'm waiting for the next Thai government to come to power and for them to send back the ambassador," said Hun Sen in a speech at a Phnom Penh ceremony.

Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said in a four-page statement yesterday the already sour relationship between Bangkok and Phnom Penh had been worsened by Hun Sen's interference in Thai affairs and his insults of the Thai judicial process.

"The Thai-Cambodian relationship was normal up to Oct 21, but it became worse after that [when Hun Sen came out to criticise Thai politics and appoint Thaksin as his economic adviser]. It is necessary to tackle the problem at the root in order to solve it," he said.

But Hun Sen said yesterday the issue which had soured ties was the dispute over the ancient Preah Vihear temple.

"You raise the issue of Thaksin, but you forget the issue of Preah Vihear," he said, in reference to the 11th century Khmer temple at the centre of the deadly border dispute between the two countries.

"I want to say that relations cannot be normalised as long as you are still invading me," Hun Sen said.

Mr Kasit yesterday also came out in defence of Kamrob Palawatwichai, the diplomat under attack for his part in the jailing in Cambodia of convicted spy Sivarak Chutipong.

"The minister never ordered Mr Kamrob to carry out any espionage action in Cambodia nor did it order him to undertake a task inappropriate to the diplomatic framework," Mr Kasit said in the statement released yesterday by the Foreign Ministry on his behalf while he is in China.Mr Kamrob was expelled from Cambodia on Nov 12 for telephoning Sivarak, a Thai aviation engineer working for Cambodia Air Traffic Services, on Nov 10 to check Thaksin's flight arrival details.

Mr Kasit said the root of the problem was Thaksin who had entered Cambodia despite being a fugitive from Thai justice.

Bangkok Post

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Normal relations impossible

I want to say that relations cannot be normalised as long as you are still invading me' - Hun Sen

PHNOM PENH - CAMBODIAN Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Wednesday that foundering relations with Thailand would not be normalised until Bangkok's current government was voted out of office.

Relations between the countries, which have fought a string of deadly gunbattles on their border since last year, plunged last month when fugitive former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra became an economic adviser to Cambodia.

Both recalled their ambassadors in November, and diplomatic tensions were further raised when Phnom Penh refused to extradite Thaksin during his first visit as economic adviser.

'I tell you (Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva) I'm waiting for the Thai next government to come to power and for them send back the ambassador,' said Mr Hun Sen in a speech at Phnom Penh ceremony. 'You raise the issue of Thaksin, but you forget the issue of Preah Vihear,' he said, in reference to the 11th century Khmer temple at the centre of the deadly border dispute between the two countries.

'I want to say that relations cannot be normalised as long as you are still invading me,' Mr Hun Sen added. Thaksin, who arrived back in Cambodia on Sunday, stepped up his economic advisory role on Wednesday as he addressed senior government officials on how to boost investment and tourism.

The telecoms mogul, ousted in a 2006 coup, was credited this week by the Cambodian government for the release of a Thai air traffic control employee jailed for seven years for spying on Thaksin's previous visit.

AFP

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Kamrob lies low over 'spy' saga

he first secretary to the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh, Kamrob Palawatwichai, is caught between a rock and a hard place over the Cambodian "spy" saga.

Some people are calling for his head while his colleagues are pressuring the government to support him.

Mr Kamrob's position has become even more tenuous since the release on Monday of Sivarak Chutipong, the Thai engineer who was arrested by the Cambodian government on a spying charge on Nov 12 and pardoned on Friday. But both the Foreign Ministry and Mr Kamrob have good reasons to keep their heads down.

Sivarak's mother, Simarak na Nakhon Phanom, has demanded Mr Kamrob publicly take responsibility for the arrest and conviction of her son.

The Cambodia Air Traffic Services engineer, on his return to Thailand on Monday, also demanded the diplomat tell the truth about why he wanted to know whether former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's jet had landed on Cambodian soil last month.

Since being expelled from Phnom Penh as persona non grata on Nov 12, Mr Kamrob and the ministry have kept silent to try to distance junior staff from being dragged further into the political quagmire by the opposition Puea Thai Party. "The whole incident is giving him nightmares," a ministry official said of Mr Kamrob.

The first secretary asked Sivarak for information regarding Thaksin's arrival in Phnom Penh on Nov 10 where he was to give a lecture as the newly appointed economic adviser to the Cambodian government. As an escapee from Thai justice after being sentenced to two years in jail over the Ratchadaphisek land purchase scandal, Thaksin is a target for the Thai government which wants him to serve out his sentence.

"If a fugitive is in any country, it is the responsibility of the diplomats based in that country to check arrival information in order to coordinate extradition with prosecutors," said ministry deputy spokesman Thani Thongpakdi.

Many officials at the ministry are worried that if Mr Kamrob were to say this publicly, it would give Puea Thai a chance to further politicise the issue in order to attack Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, who has been hunting Thaksin since he came to office one year ago. Prior to that, he was a strong critic of Thaksin at People's Alliance for Democracy rallies.

Mr Kamrob, who was assigned by the ministry to look after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Thailand in October, is not the only one feeling the pressure from Sivarak's family. Mr Kasit is in a similar position with ministry officials who want him to come out to say something to protect Mr Kamrob.

Bangkok Post

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[Thai] Govt sets conditions for resumption of full relations [with Cambodia]

The Cambodian government has to meet three conditions before the the Thai government will send its ambassador back to Phnom Penh, government spokesman Panithan Wattanayakorn said on Tuesday.

He said the release of pardoned spy Sivarak Chutipong was the first step toward restoring diplomatic relations.

However, ambassador Prasas Prasasvinitchai would return to Phnom Penh only if Cambodia rectified its stated opinion about Thailand's justice system, and its politics, and dismissed former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra from the position of economic eo the Cambodian government.

"The government may send a first secretary back to the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh back if Cambodia wishes to improve bilateral ties, but I cannot confirm that it would be the same person," the government spokesman said.

Last month, Kamrob Palawatwichai, the first secretary of the Thai embassy in Cambodia, was expelled by Cambodia for his involvement in obtaining Thaksin's flight plan.

Mr Panithan also said that Mr Kamrob had tried to contact Mr Sivarak on his arrival back in Thailand.

Mr Sivarak, who was convicted of spying on ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra but later pardoned by the Cambodian king, demanded on Monday that Mr Kamrob "tell the truth".

He said Mr Kamrob had made a phone call to him and asked about a VIP plane's flight information and if Thaksin was on board the plane.

He demanded that Mr Kamrob speak out and restore his damaged reputation by confirming he was not involved in any government attempt to get Thaksin's flight details.

Mr Kamrob has not spoken to the media since.

Mr Panithan said Mr Kamrob tried to contact Mr Sivarak after he landed in back in Bangkok on Monday, but said he was not sure whether the two had talked.

He added that Mr Kamrob would clarify the matter in the next day or two.

"The reason why he does not clarify the issue now is because his superiors are concerned that he is not a good public speaker," he said.

Mr Sivarak's mother, Simarak na Nakhon Phanom, denounced Democrat Party spokesman Buranat Samutrak for saying the release of her son was staged and in the interests of a certain group of people.

"My son has suffered much already. Please don't hurt him more," Mrs Simarak said. "The person who thinks that this was staged, I believe, can also make up stories well."

The stressed mother also called on the media to stop referring to Mr Sivarak's father, who it was claimed was close to Thaksin, because he had passed away a long time ago.

"My son and I do not know Thaksin," she said.

She and her son forgave Kamrob Palawatwichai even though he was the one who called her son and got him arrested in the end.

"I agree with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva that everything should end here, but I wonder how would Mr Kamrob feel if he was in prison for just a day," she said.

She said she would like to thank Thaksin for his assistance and the people for their support.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said on Tuesday that he would make no further comment on the case involving Mr Sivarak.

This matter should be put to end, he said, adding that the public understand what happened.

He earlier said the incident was a conspiracy by Puea Thai and Thaksin to discredit the government and boost the popularity of the convicted former prime minister, who arrived in Cambodia on Sunday to arrange for Mr Sivarak's release.

When asked about the government's efforts to extradite Thaksin now that he is back in Cambodia, Mr Suthep said that was the responsibility of the Foreign Ministry.

On Tuesday, Thaksin addressed Cambodian ministers in his advisory role on how to develop their economy during the global recession.

Foreign language media were locked out of Thaksin's meeting at the Council for the Development of Cambodia, but local reporters said he spoke to between 20 and 30 senior Cambodian ministers and their deputies.

He talked about how to develop the impoverished nation's economy during the worldwide financial crisis and discussed agricultural reform, the reporters added.\

Bangkok Post

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Thaksin in Cambodia

Fugitive former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra landed in Cambodia Sunday, setting the stage for another diplomatic fracas between the neighbouring countries.

Thaksin, who was ousted in a coup in 2006, was escorted from a small private jet at Phnom Penh International Airport into the capital by a convoy of cars under tight security, an AFP reporter said.

Thaksin's visit to Cambodia last month to take up a government economic advisory role caused a diplomatic row when Cambodian premier Hun Sen refused to extradite the tycoon to Thailand to serve a two-year jail term for corruption.

Thai government spokesman Panitan Wattanayakorn said Sunday Bangkok would submit a new extradition request.

"The Thai government will follow the same procedure as last time. When people wanted for crimes in this country travel to a neighbouring country we will ask them to detain and request an extradition," Panitan told reporters.

But Cambodian foreign ministry spokesman Koy Kuong told AFP that sending a further request "is just a waste of time".

"Cambodia's position on the issue will not change. We will not extradite or arrest Mr. Thaksin," he said.

After his arrival, Thaksin went to Prey Sar prison for a brief visit with a Thai man jailed for spying on him last month.

Siwarak Chothipong, 31, is due to be released on Monday after Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni issued a pardon.

Thaksin is expected to attend an official ceremony following Siwarak's release to be held at Hun Sen's home along with members of Thailand's opposition party and Siwarak's mother.

Siwarak's mother was seen smiling outside the prison on Sunday after the meeting with Thaksin.

The air traffic control employee was sentenced to seven years in jail for supplying Thaksin's flight schedule to the Thai embassy.

During his trial last week, Siwarak denied stealing documents and told the court that although he had informed the embassy's first secretary by telephone of a flight arrival, he had not been aware that Thaksin was on board.

As a result of the case Cambodia expelled the first secretary to the Thai embassy and Thailand retaliated in kind.

Both countries had earlier withdrawn their ambassadors in the dispute over Thaksin's appointment as economic adviser.

Angered by Thaksin's presence in Cambodia, Thailand also put all talks and cooperation on hold and tore up an oil and gas exploration deal signed during Thaksin's tenure as prime minister.

Tensions were already high between the two countries following a series of deadly military clashes over disputed territory near the 11th century Preah Vihear temple on their border.

Billionaire telecoms mogul Thaksin is living abroad, mostly in Dubai, to avoid a two-year jail term for abuse of power handed down by a Thai court in absentia in September 2008.

Thaksin won two elections in Thailand and remains a massively influential political figure at home, stirring up mass protests by so-called "Red Shirt" supporters against the current government.

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Thaksin to arrive in Cambodia Sunday: govt

PHNOM PENH — Thailand's fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra was expected in Cambodia Sunday to meet a Thai man jailed for spying on him last month, a government spokesman said.

"He (Thaksin) will arrive today," government spokesman Khieu Kanharith told AFP. "He will meet the Thai man... and he will conduct one or two (economic) workshops in Cambodia during his stay."

A visit by Thaksin to Cambodia last month caused a diplomatic row when Cambodian premier Hun Sen refused to extradite the Thai tycoon to Thailand to serve a two-year jail term for graft.

Thai national Siwarak Chothipong, 31, was due to be released from prison on Monday after Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni issued a pardon. He was jailed for seven years for supplying Thaksin's flight schedule to the Thai embassy.

Thaksin, who was ousted in a military coup in 2006, made his trip to Cambodia last month to take up an economic advisory role with the government on the personal invitation of Hun Sen.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Friday said his government would likely submit another extradition request if Thaksin made a return trip.

Thaksin is living abroad to avoid the jail term for corruption, but has continued to stir up protests in his homeland.

Angered by his presence in Cambodia, Thailand put all talks and cooperation on hold and tore up an oil and gas exploration deal signed during Thaksin's tenure as prime minister.

Cambodia expelled a Thai diplomat who received the flight information from Siwarak. Thailand retaliated in kind hours later.

Both countries had earlier also withdrawn their ambassadors in the dispute over Thaksin's appointment to the advisory job.

AFP

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Thai-Cambodian ties no closer to being restored

Has the tension eased between Thailand and Cambodia? Yes. Is the diplomatic row between the neighbouring countries nearer to a solution? Probably not. Cambodia's royal pardon, granted to the convicted Thai "spy" so swiftly after a Phnom Penh court sentenced him to seven years in prison, seemed as politically motivated as the man's arrest itself, and it has left both countries' volatile relationship as unpredictable as ever.

The pardon was given by the person least visible and audible in the diplomatic uproar. King Norodom Sihamoni has been a distant watcher at best, as Bangkok and Phnom Penh brought their stormy ties to near breaking point with one controversial retribution after another. Yet it took him less than 24 hours to decide that a man found guilty of endangering Cambodia's national security can immediately walk free. We don't know how the pardon-seeking process works in Cambodia, but in most other countries it should involve committees, opinions from people who matter and a lot of consultations.

However, the amazingly prompt process can only be good for the convict and his family. Thai engineer Sivarak Chutipong was simply someone caught in the middle of a very intricate diplomatic and political rivalry. He has been quickly released, despite being made to look like one of Cambodia's biggest security threats, because nobody wins if he had to stay on in jail.

His ordeal has embarrassed the Abhisit Vejjajiva government and also put new dents in Thaksin Shinawatra's ebbing popularity. It's debatable who should bear the bigger blame for his plight, but both sides played big parts in events leading to his arrest. Thaksin's decisions to take up Cambodia's appointment as an economic adviser and come to Cambodia following an invitation that he could have easily declined made the Bangkok government curious about his movements - and the rest is history.

Thaksin's situation was then further complicated by the revelation that Sivarak's mother was a sympathiser of the red shirts (a group supporting ousted PM Thaksin Shinawatra). A Thai citizen ending up in jail because of him was politically bad enough, so the red-shirted connection meant that he could not stand idly by and watch him wither in a Cambodian cell. Thaksin's Pheu Thai Party's scrambling to spearhead the pardon campaign was not as much of a ploy to discredit the Democrats as an effort to help Thaksin bounce back from the setback.

The Democrats' situation wasn't better. Despite the government's denial that Sivarak was snooping for Thaksin's travel data following a request from the foreign ministry, few believed the man was acting on his own. It didn't matter whether the information the man obtained was highly classified or not. Politics is about perception, and if the government was perceived to be responsible for Sivarak's arrest and the heavy penalty, that would be very difficult to change. So, whether the credit goes to Thaksin, or Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, or the Pheu Thai Party, now that Sivarak has been pardoned, the Democrats should feel relieved.

The Phnom Penh government, meanwhile, had nothing to gain from Sivarak languishing in its jail. And like Thaksin, Prime Minister Hun Sen saw his own situation compromised by the red-shirted connection of Sivarak's mother. The Thai man could not be acquitted, since that would have made a mockery of his arrest, but Hun Sen's ties with Thaksin and the need to prevent the badly cracked relationship with Bangkok from being completely shattered, dictated that the convict had better be freed.

So, it seemed like a ceasefire on the surface, but perhaps Sivarak has been pardoned so the warring parties could move down their collision course without an unpredictable political baggage that was helping nobody. What lies ahead for Thai-Cambodian relations still depends on the very same factors that got Sivarak into trouble in the first place. And it will take something bigger and more significant than the world-record speedy pardon to bring everything back to normal.

The Nation

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Cambodian king pardons convicted Thai spy

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni Friday pardoned a Thai man jailed for seven years for spying on fugitive former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra, a Cambodian government spokesman said.

Siwarak Chothipong, 31, an employee at the Cambodia Air Traffic Service, will be released from prison Monday to his family and a delegation from Thailand's opposition Puea Thai party, spokesman Khieu Kanharith said.

"The king just signed it this morning," Khieu Kanharith told AFP, adding that the royal pardon was issued after Prime Minister Hun Sen requested it Thursday.

"This morning Hun Sen said that if the man wants to continue working in Cambodia, he is welcome," Khieu Kanharith added.

Siwarak's arrest in Phnom Penh last month deepened a diplomatic crisis over Cambodia's appointment of Thaksin as an economic adviser and its refusal to extradite the ousted premier to Thailand.

During his trial Tuesday, Siwarak denied stealing any documents and stated that although he had informed the Thai embassy's first secretary by telephone of a flight arrival, he had not been aware that Thaksin was on board.

Thaksin was toppled in a coup in 2006 and is living abroad to avoid a two-year jail term for corruption, but has continued to stir up protests in his homeland.

AFP

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Thai spy pardoned in Cambodia

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia—Cambodia's king pardoned a Thai man Friday who had been sentenced to seven years in prison for spying on Thailand's fugitive ex-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in a case that soured relations between the neighbors.

Government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said Thai national Siwarak Chothipong would be released from prison Monday following his pardon by King Norodom Sihamoni.

The conviction Tuesday in the capital of Phnom Penh followed Cambodia's decision last month to name Thaksin, a fugitive from justice in Thailand, as its special economic adviser. The appointment and Thaksin's subsequent visit to Cambodia angered the government in Bangkok and resulted in a recall of ambassadors from both sides.

Kanharith said Siwarak's formal release would take place during a visit to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen by the prisoner's mother and members of a Thai political party loyal to Thaksin.

Siwarak, an employee of the Cambodia Air Traffic Service, which manages flights in the country, was accused of stealing Thaksin's flight schedule before his Nov. 10 arrival and sending it to the Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh. Thaksin stayed five days, getting red-carpet treatment as he talked to Cambodian economists.

Siwarak, 31, was arrested Nov. 12 and charged with stealing information that could impact national security.

Municipal Court Judge Ke Sakhan ruled that Thaksin's flight information was confidential and sharing it was a breach of security protocol for dignitaries.

Siwarak acknowledged earlier in court that he saw the flight schedule and passed the details on to Thai embassy First Secretary Kamrob Palawatwichai who was later expelled from the country. But he denied stealing the document.

Thaksin went into self-imposed exile last year before a Thai court found him guilty of violating a conflict of interest law and sentenced him to two years in prison. He had served as prime minister from 2001 to 2006, when he was ousted in a military coup after being accused of corruption and showing disrespect to the monarchy.

Thaksin's supporters and opponents have repeatedly taken to the streets since then to spar over who has the right to rule the country, sometimes sparking violence.

Thaksin's visit to Cambodia led to allegations he was trying to ignite a new political crisis from across the border.

Critics, including Thailand's government, have portrayed Thaksin as a traitor for accepting the Cambodian appointment and have lambasted Cambodia for hosting him while he is a fugitive. Relations have already been roiled by several deadly skirmishes over the past year and a half over land surrounding the ancient Preah Vihear temple.

December 11, 2009
By Sopheng Cheang
Associated Press Writer

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[Thai spy's monther]: Thaksin my only hope

An emotional Simarak pinned the responsibility for her son's plight on Kamrob. "I want to ask Kamrob, where are you? If you had not called my son, he would not have been in this condition," she said.

"He is innocent. Why should he take responsibility on your behalf. So please come out to take responsibility for your actions. My son has been in jail for nearly 30 days and I cannot tolerate anymore seeing him handcuffed," she said.

The mother of jailed Thai national Sivarak Chotipong yesterday pleaded with former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to use his close connection with the Cambodian government to free her son who was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment for spying.

Sivarak was also fined 10 million Cambodian riels (Bt83,000) for passing on Thaksin's flight information to a Thai Embassy staff.

Sivarak's mother Simarak na Nakhon Phanom, who attended the trial in a Phnom Penh court yesterday, burst into tears when she heard the verdict. She rushed to call the opposition Pheu Thai Party's headquarters in Bangkok to seek assistance from the party's real boss Thaksin, and party chairman Chavalit Yongchaiyudh.

"I don't know where and from whom to seek help but, former prime minister Thaksin and General Chavalit, please help my son to get freedom," Simarak told reporters at Pheu Thai Party via telephone conference.

Simarak said her son would not appeal to a higher court. She pleaded with the Pheu Thai to seek a royal pardon for her son from the Cambodian king.

The mother did not want to rely on the government to help her son as she blamed the Foreign Ministry for moving slowly due to its sour relations with Cambodia.

In his Internet radio programme 'Talk around the world' yesterday, Thaksin did not mention Sivarak's case.

Ke Sakhan, presiding judge of Phnom Penh Municipal Court, convicted Sivarak, a 31-year-old employee at the Thai owned Cambodia Air Traffic Services (CATS), saying Thaksin's flight information was confidential and sharing it was a violation of national security.

"Thaksin is an adviser to Cambodia's government and Cambodia has the obligation to provide him security," the judge said.

During his hearing yesterday, Sivarak admitted that he had checked Thaksin's flight schedule but said it was only after the ousted Thai premier's private jet had already landed in Phnom Penh International Airport. He said he passed on the information to a Thai diplomat, Kamrob Palawatwichai, at his request after two phone calls.

"I took a look at the flight schedule and made a phone call to Kamrob about the flight schedule," Sivarak told the court. "But I didn't get a copy of the flight schedule and hand it over to anyone."

Two employees of CATS testified in the court that Sivarak had asked them about the flight schedule.

The Thai diplomat, Kamrob, was later expelled from Cambodia. Sivarak was arrested on November 12 when Thaksin was in Phnom Penh to lecture on economic matters.

In her telephone conference from Phnom Penh, an emotional Simarak pinned the responsibility for her son's plight on Kamrob. "I want to ask Kamrob, where are you? If you had not called my son, he would not have been in this condition," she said.

"He is innocent. Why should he take responsibility on your behalf. So please come out to take responsibility for your actions. My son has been in jail for nearly 30 days and I cannot tolerate anymore seeing him handcuffed," she said.

Thailand and Cambodia have been at loggerheads after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen appointed Thaksin as his adviser. The two countries have downgraded their diplomatic relations since late October.

The Nation

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Sivarak gets 7 years in jail

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Tuesday afternoon sentenced accused Thai spy Sivarak Chutipong to seven years in prison and a fine of 10 million riel, about 80,000 baht.

Sivarak, 31, an employee of Thai-owned Cambodia Air Traffic Services (CATS), was arrested on Nov 12 on charges of stealing state secrets, the flight information of fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra when he visited Phnom Pehn, and passing it to a Thai diplomat.

Sivarak confessed in court that he did check out Thaksin's flight information. The ousted premier arrived in Phnom Penh early last month after he was appointed economic adviser to Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen and his government.

He said Khamrob Palawatwichai, the first secretary to the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh, contacted him and inquired about Thaksin's flight. He admitted that he confirmed Thaksin's arrival in Cambodia to the diplomat by phone about 30 minutes after the media reported it.

Mr Khamrob was expelled by the Cambodian government last month and the Thai government responded by expelling the first secretary of the Cambodian embassy in Bangkok.

After the verdict was announced, Sivarak's mother Simarak Na Nakhon Phanom called the opposition Puea Thai Party and said her son's lawyer might not file an appeal.

Mrs Simarak said she may ask Puea Thai chairman and former prime minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh to help seek a royal pardon from the Cambodian king.

Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya's secretary Chavanond Intarakomalyasut said if no appeal was filed, the government would seek a royal pardon for Mr Sivarak immediately.

Bangkok Post

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7 years in jail for Thai spy

Cambodian Court today afternoon sentenced Thai spy, Sivarak Chutipong, to seven years in prisons and a fine of KHR 10,000,000 (about USD 2,450) for spy charge.

Koun Khmer

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Another Cambodian logger killed by Thai soldiers

Nineteen year-old Meas Ka-On from Tropeang Prasat district in Oddar Meanchey province has been shot dead on 7th December by Thai soldier after allegedly crossing the border to lod on the Thai side of the borders, reports Radio Free Asia.

Mr. Sim Seng, chief of Bak Anlong village, said Meas Ka-On was part of a group of 13 people trying to cross the borders when Thai soldiers started shooting indiscriminately at them and Meas Ka-On was hit and killed on the spot. The other 12 people returned home unharmed. He said the Cambodian authority had contacted the Thai side in which they promised to send the body of Meas Ka-On to his family in Cambodia.

Mr. Meas Hayly, father of the victim, said while he was waiting to receive the body of his son that he is very angry. "(We crossed the borders) because we are poor. He had crossed the borders 2-3 days ago through contacts with his friends and many people from the village had also went. I am very upset, I tell you the truth, if we are allowed to go and retrieve my son's body and if I had the gun I would probably bring the gun with me, I tell me the truth", he said.

Many Cambodians had been killed by Thai soldiers after they attempted to cross the borders. Since September 2009, 4 Cambodians had been killed by Thai soldiers. On 27 November, 19 year-old Sok Samnang was killed near O'Smach while picking wild mushrooms in the border areas. and on 11th September 2009, 16 year-old Yon Rith was allegedly wounded and burned alive by Thai soldiers.

At the same time, 24 Khmer Krom asylum-seekers had just arrived in Cambodia after being arrested and repatriated from Thailand.

The group was waiting for the UNHCR to interview them to determine their status when Thai police arrested them in Bangkok. After arriving in Cambodia, they appealed to the Cambodian authority to offer them political asylum and not send them back home to Vietnam for fearing that they will face persecutions.

By Khmerization

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Alleged Thai Spy’s Hearing Today

The alleged Thai spy arrested by Cambodia last month is to have a court appearance today at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, according to DAP News.
The alleged spy man will be represented by his new lawyer, Khiev Sambo, after the Phnom Penh Court decided deny bail last week.
A Cambodian opposition MP on Monday said that information from the alleged spy, Sivarak Chutipong, will rock the Thai government when he returns to Thailand after the hearing takes place on December 8.
Sivarak could reveal information that will destabilize the Thai government when he eventually returns to Thailand from Cambodia, Puea Thai MP for Thailand’s Kanchanaburi province Ma Phongam was quoted as saying by the Bangkok Post on M?onday.
Sivarak, 31, an employee of Thai-owned Cambodia Air Traffic Services (CATS), was arrested on Nov 11 on charges of stealing sensitive state information, fugitive former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s flight plan when he visited Phnom Pehn, and passing it to a Thai diplomat.
“The case is over if the court finds Sivarak innocent. But if he is guilty, a royal pardon will be sought and it would be up to the Cambodian king,” Ma said.
The opposition MP said former prime minister and party chairman Chavalit Yongchaiyudh wanted to help out because he had close ties with Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen. He pointed out that the Cambodian government had denounced Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya.
“This case does not need Thaksin’s help. Gen Chavalit can handle this,” he said.
He repeated claims the party was not indulging political one-upmanship by helping Sivarak, but was intent on helping a Thai in trouble.
“Let’s wait until Sivarak returns. The things he’ll say will, I believe, affect the government’s stability because he is the victim,” Ma said.
Meanwhile, the alleged spy’s mother arrived Phnom Penh on Monday morning to attend the hearing accompanied a Thai Foreign Ministry official and her another son.
An opposition Phue Thai party leader in Thailand last week expressed confidence that the alleged Thai spy detained by Cambodian authorities will be freed after his first hearing next week.

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Hun Sen called on Cambodian students in Thailand to return home

The Prime Minister has said that if the mother of the Thai engineer accused of committing espionage in Cambodia wants to change her son's attorney, she is able to do so.

The Foreign Minister has also pledged to continue giving the government's full assistance.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has said that if the mother of the Thai engineer detained in Cambodia wants to change her son's attorney, she is able to do so and also claimed that the government will continue to offer full assistance to the case.

Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya has pointed out that it is up to the family of the Thai engineer if they want to change the attorney.

Kasit has also claimed the change in attorney will not be a problem or a political issue to the government.

Meanwhile, the government will continue to offer support to the case with bail money, attorney's fees, traveling costs for Sivarak's mother, and Sivarak's medical fees.

Prime Minister Hun Sen of Cambodia recently called for all Cambodian students studying in Thailand to return. Kasit has commented that the call is Hun Sen's personal opinion, and Thailand will not protest such remark in trying to maintain a relationship with Cambodia.

The Foreign Minister has also said that whatever brings happiness to Thai and Cambodian people, the Thai government is willing to oblige.

When asked about the political pressure that wants to expel him from the Cabinet, Kasit refused to make a comment but said that he is working 24 hours a day.

Thai ASEAN News Network

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Prison refuses access to mum of spy suspect

The mother of the Thai engineer being held in Cambodia on spying charges has returned to Phnom Penh to witness her son's trial set to start today.

Simarak na Nakhon Phanom left for Phnom Penh yesterday with another son, Phongsuree Chutipong, and the deputy director-general of the Consular Affairs Department, Madurapochana Ittarong.

She tried to visit her son, Sivarak Chutipong, in Prey Sar prison outside Phnom Penh on her arrival but was denied access by the Cambodian Corrections Department.

A tearful Mrs Simarak said she had been unable to sleep because she was worried about her son. She had taken a picture of His Majesty the King with her to give to Mr Sivarak to help him keep up his spirits.

Mrs Simarak said she would wait for the court ruling before seeking consultation on what to do next.

Her son's lawyer, Khieu Sambou, will take care of a petition seeking a royal pardon for Mr Sivarak should he be found guilty, she said.

Mrs Simarak decided last week to act on the advice of Mr Sivarak's friends to replace lawyer Khao Sopha, who was appointed by the Thai Foreign Ministry, because Khieu Sambou was claimed to be an expert on espionage cases.

She insisted the lawyer's replacement had nothing to do with Thai politics. The Foreign Ministry did not oppose the replacement.

Ms Madurapochana yesterday said the ministry would continue to provide Mr Sivarak with assistance even though his mother had decided to change the lawyer.

Mr Sivarak was arrested in Phnom Penh on Nov 12 on a charge of supplying the classified flight plan of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's return flight from Phnom Penh to Dubai to a Thai diplomat.

His mother has sought help from both the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the opposition Puea Thai Party to try to have him released.

Puea Thai spokesman Prompong Nopparit yesterday told reporters he had shown Mrs Simarak a draft letter Puea Thai chairman Chavalit Yongchaiyudh would send to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen seeking a royal pardon should the court find her son guilty.

Mr Prompong said Puea Thai was providing assistance to Mrs Simarak out of good intentions.

Mrs Simarak has also asked Puea Thai to contact Thaksin in the hope his close ties with the Cambodian government could also help have her son released from prison, the spokesman said.

Thaksin was appointed by Hun Sen in October as economic adviser to himself and the Cambodian government.

Meanwhile, in Trat, operators of more than 80 fishing trawlers have received new licences to fish in Cambodian waters, the chairman of the Trat Chamber of Commerce, Prasert Siri, said.

Cambodian authorities in Koh Kong opposite Trat started issuing new licences for Thai trawlers on Dec 4.

Mr Prasert expected up to 300 Thai trawlers to receive licences.The new licences were required after Bun Lert replaced Yuth Pouthang as the Koh Kong governor on Nov 12.

Bangkok Post

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[Alleged Thai spy] Sivarak's info 'could destabilise govt'

Accused Thai spy Sivarak Chutipong could reveal information that will destabilise the government when he eventually returns to Thailand from Cambodia, Puea Thai MP for Kanchanaburi province Ma Phongam said on Monday.

Mr Sivarak, 31, an employee of Thai-owned Cambodia Air Traffic Services (CATS), was arrested on Nov 12 on charges of stealing sensitive state information, fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's flight plan when he visited Phnom Pehn, and passing it to a Thai diplomat.

The Cambodian court will give its verdict on the case on Tuesday. Mr Sivarak, who is detained in Prey Sar prison, could receive up to 15 years in jail if convicted.

"The case is over if the court finds Mr Sivarak innocent. But if he is guilty, a royal pardon will be sought and it would be up to the Cambodian king," Mr Ma said.

The opposition MP said former prime minister and party chairman Chavalit Yongchaiyudh wanted to help out because he had close ties with Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen. He pointed out that the Cambodian government had denounced Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya.

"This case does not need Thaksin's help. Gen Chavalit can handle this," he said.

He repeated claims the party was not indulging political one-upmanship by helping Mr Sivarak, but was intent on helping a Thai in trouble.

"Let's wait until Mr Sivarak returns. The things he'll say will, I believe, affect the government's stability because he is the victim," Mr Ma said.

Bangkok Post

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Hun Sen warned Cambodians not to illegally cross into Thailand

Prime minister Hun Sen warned Cambodians living along the Cambodian-Thai border not to enter Thailand to cut down trees or undertake illegal activities in order to avoid being arrested or shot by Thai soldiers. In a speech given during the inauguration of the construction site for National Road 68 in Oddar Meanchey province, next to the Thai border, Hun Sen declared that, recently, 3 Cambodians who crossed into Thailand were arrested and sentenced, while others were shot and killed on the spot by Thai soldiers. Hun Sen asked them that, whatever they do, they should stay within Cambodian territories, and they should never cross into Thailand. Hun Sen also warned armed troops and Cambodians from entering Thai territories. Hun Sen also said that: “We will not allow Thai soldiers and civilians to enter into our territories either.”

Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by KI-Media

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Mother of detained Thai engineer arrives in Cambodia, verdict expected Tuesday

BANGKOK, Dec 7 (TNA) – The mother of the Thai employee detained in Cambodia on spy charges arrived in Cambodia ahead of the court ruling on the case expected on Tuesday.

Simarak Na Nakhon Panom was accompanied by Deputy Director General Madurapochana Ittarong of the Ministry of Foreign Affair’s Department of Consular Affairs.

Mrs Simarak said that she hoped for a positive result from the Cambodian court ruling on the case of her son Siwarak Chutipong, but she is also prepared for a negative outcome.

She insisted that the decision to change lawyers was advised by Mr Siwarak’s friends in Cambodia and was not a political ‘game’ or ploy. The mother said she will do whatever she can to help her son as soon as possible. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs understood her position, she said, and didn’t blame her for not working with the lawyer selected by the ministry.

Meanwhile, Ms Madurapochana said the ministry continued providing assistance to help Mr Siwarak. She said she is due to meet the newly-appointed lawyer at the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh Monday afternoon.

The court is expected to deliver its verdict on Tuesday, she said, and if Mr Siwarak is found guilty, she will then talk to the lawyer to determine what to do next. She also asked permission for Mrs Simarak to visit her son on Monday but has not yet received an answer from the Khmer officials.

Opposition Puea Thai Party spokesman Prompong Nopparit saw Mrs Simarak off at Suvarnabhumi Airport and showed her a draft of a letter by former prime minister Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh to submit requesting a royal amnesty if her son is found guilty.

The draft will be considered in a Puea Thai meeting, first scrutinising legal details and then translating it into Khmer and English.

Mr Prompong said he showed her the draft letter to confirm that the Puea Thai party is sincerely ready to help and he believed the government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also giving her full support.

Mrs Simarak also asked Mr Prompong to contact ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra through his former legal advisor Noppadon Pattama to help her son.

Mr Siwarak, an employee of Cambodia Air Traffic Services (CATS), was arrested by Khmer police nearly a month ago on charges of passing information on the flight details of Mr Thaksin to Thai diplomats in Phnom Penh.

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