Freed Thai engineer to meet ex-premier Thaksin before release in Cambodia

BANGKOK, Dec 13 (TNA) -- Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is considering whether to again request the Cambodian government to detain and then extradite fugitive, ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra if he visits Phnom Penh on Monday, Panithan Watanayakorn, deputy secretary-general to Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Sunday.

Dr Panithan said the ministry had already received information that Mr Thaksin plans to visit Cambodia again and if the information is correct, it may ask the Khmer government to detain and extradite him to Thailand.

However, the planned request would not affect Cambodia’s decision to release Siwarak Chutipong, the Thai employee who was tried and convicted of passing Mr Thaksin’s travel information to a Thai consular official and who will be freed on Monday, Dr Panitan said.

Mr Siwarak was taken into custody on November 12 and was later sentenced to seven years jail term and fined Bt100,000 (US$3,000) for releasing the flight details of Mr Thaksin when the ex-Thai premier visited Phnom Penh last month on his first trip there after being appointed economic adviser to the Cambodian government.

Mr Siwarak's release came after Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni granted a royal pardon to him last Friday.

Prior to Mr Thaksin’s visit to Cambodia last month, the Thai Foreign Affairs Ministry had also requested Cambodia to help arrest and extradite him, but the request was rejected by the Cambodian government which said that charges against the ousted premier was a political offence and not a crime in that country.

Meanwhile, Cambodian government spokesman Khieu Kanharith confirmed that Mr Thaksin would arrive in Phnom Penh on Sunday and meet Mr Siwarak before the detainee leaves for Bangkok on Monday.

Mr Thaksin will stay in Cambodia for a time and will speak on the economy during his stay in Cambodia, said Mr Kanharith.

[Thai] PM, Kasit should thank Hun Sen

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Foreign Affairs Minister Kasit Piromya should send a letter to thank the Cambodian government for seeking a royal pardon to Sivarak Chutiphong, the Thai engineer who was sentenced to seven years in prison for spying, Puea Thai spokesman Jirayu Huangsap said on Saturday.

“Mr Abhisit and Mr Kasit should phone to Hun Sen to thank him on helping the Thai engineer be released”, Mr Jirayu said, adding that the government should not consider the release as an achievement of the opposition party.

Meanwhile, Puea Thai MP for Bangkok Karun Hosakul called on the army to refrain from using double standards against an army specialist Maj Gen Kattiya Sawasdipol.

The MP was responding to the move by the army to suspend Maj Gen Kattiya, widely known as Seh Daeng, for traveling to see deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in Cambodia on Nov 13 without seeking permission to take leave from the army.

She Daeng also allegedly made defamatory remarks about army chief Anupong Paojinda in an interview with the media.

“If the double standards were used against Maj Gen Kattiya, it would clearly show that the army has taken side”, Mr Karun said.