Abhisit says no review of stance on Cambodia
Published: 12/12/2009
(Posted by CAAI News Media)
Thailand has welcomed Cambodia's royal pardon for a Thai engineer who was sentenced to seven years in prison for spying.
The move was seen as a positive step for the two neighbours to mend ties after a diplomatic spat.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday welcomed Sivarak Chutipong's freedom following the royal pardon granted by Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni, saying it was good news the case was about to come to an end.
He expressed confidence that Sivarak's ''implication'' of the first secretary at the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh, Kamrob Palawatwichai, to whom he provided the information would not further widen a rift between Thailand and Cambodia.
Mr Abhisit said he did not think the issue would be magnified for political reasons, as Sivarak insisted that the information he had obtained was not confidential.
But Mr Abhisit said the engineer's release would not prompt the government to review its stance on Cambodia.
''The cause of the row is not Mr Sivarak. It is something else,'' he said
''Thailand wants to be a good neighbour and we will not intrude on Cambodia's decision, but we will strongly protect what is our nation's interest.''
King Norodom Sihamoni granted a pardon to Sivarak, 31, yesterday - three days after he was sentenced to seven years in prison for spying.
Sivarak was found guilty of stealing the flight plan of fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra ahead of his visit to Cambodia last month. The case had soured relations between the two countries.
Thaksin played a role in winning Sivarak's release by calling Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen and asking for leniency, said Cambodian government spokesman Khieu Kanharith.
''Thaksin spoke to Hun Sen by telephone to request the pardon,'' he said.
Sivarak would be released from jail on Monday following the pardon which was granted on humanitarian grounds. The process was expedited because he did not appeal his conviction.
Sivarak's mother and members of the opposition Puea Thai Party were scheduled to visit Hun Sen, he said.
Sivarak was found guilty by Phnom Penh Municipal Court of stealing Thaksin's flight plan, before his Nov 10 arrival, when he was an employee of the Cambodia Air Traffic Service which manages flights in the country. He then passed the information to Mr Kamrob at the Thai embassy who was later expelled by Cambodia.
It was reported that on Dec 9 Sivarak admitted to his actions in a letter which was handed over to Hun Sen for submission to King Norodom Sihamoni.
Meanwhile, the quick pardon for Mr Sivarak has left the Puea Thai party in an awkward position. The news about Mr Sivarak's freedom came just hours before the party's planned submission of letters for the royal pardon to the Cambodian embassy in Bangkok yesterday.
The party yesterday also submitted a letter to Foreign Ministry calling for a responsibility of the minister Kasit Piromya and Mr Kamrob for allegedly cause the guilty of Mr Sivarak.
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