Cambodia rejects Thailand’s PM statement over tapping calls

Wednesday, 23 December 2009 04:57 DAP-NEWS

(CAAI News Media)

Phnom Penh, Dec. 23, 2009 (DAP) – The Royal Government of Cambodia on Wednesday denied the Thai Prime Minister’s statement over Cambodia tapped conversation as baseless, said the release seen by DAP.

Phnom Penh said Thai Premier Abhisit Vejjajiva’s move was aimed to “obtain political gain and to hide his weakness in evading his responsibility only”, said the Cambodia’s government release.

“Cambodia has no habitude of acting against the law and the telephone tapping has never been the practice of Cambodia and it has never done anything which would affect any of its principles,” it said.

“Therefore, what Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva had stated in his interview was simply a dream and an individual assumption that he would obtain political gain and to hide his weakness in evading his responsibility only.”

Cambodia is convinced that Abhisit’s statement “can be seen as an intention of misleading national and international public opinions that Cambodia does not abide by the law, which in fact is contrary to the tendency of the Kingdom of Cambodia which has promoted and strengthened the rule of law.”

Abhisit was interviewed by Thailand-based ASTV Manager Online and aired on December 16, in which he said “if Cambodia had tapped the telephone conversations between Sivarak and Kamrob, Cambodia then should clarify this case because this would affect the country’s image within the international sight.”

But Cambodia said such the allegation was groundless.

“The head of the Royal Government of Cambodia has received the records in the bills, which were provided by a private telephone company, concerning the data of conversation between Sivarak Chutipong, CATS engineer, and Kamrob Palawatwichai, First Secretary of Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh after the happening of the event,” it said.

“This is the normal practice of private company which needs the recorded data for the payment of the bill only,” it said.

The trial court of Phnom Penh sentenced Sivarak Chutipong, the Thai engineer, was sentenced in December to seven years in jail and also ordered to pay fine 10 million riel to the state.

Sivarak, an engineer of Cambodia Air Traffic Services (CATS), was arrested in November and charged of leaking the information flight schedule of the ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin and passing it to a Thai diplomat in Phnom Penh. Sivarak was pardoned a week later by King Norodom Sihamoni upon his request.

The Cambodia’s court said Thaksin’s flight schedule was considered confidential given the latter as an economic adviser and personal advisor to Prime Minister Hun Sen since October.

Cambodia’s government said it “always stick to its obligations in the strengthening and the carrying out of the spirit of rule of law as well as the protection of rights and dignity of humanity by ensuring the individual privacy of telephone conversation”. That contributed to attract the foreign direct investment (FDI) to flow billion of US dollars to invest in this Kingdom.

“The Royal Government of Cambodia has taken unwavering position in respecting and promoting the investment laws by facilitating and providing the business self-determination to investors,” said the government statement.

“These prove that there was no reason whatsoever that Cambodia has tapped the telephone conversations between Sivarak and Komrob at all.”