Sivarak Chutipongand his mother Simarak na NakhonPhanom present flowers to Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya to thank him for the assistance the government gave the engineer to fight spying charges brought against him by Cambodia in November. PATTANAPONGHIRANARD
Published: 13/01/2010
via CAAI News Media
Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya is insisting normal diplomatic relations with Cambodia cannot resume until Phnom Penh ends its relationship with former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
In a tit-for-tat response to Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong's rejection on Monday of Thailand's demand that Thaksin be dismissed as economic adviser to Phnom Penh, Mr Kasit yesterday refused to budge on the question of ties.
Mr Kasit accused Cambodia of creating the diplomatic row by interfering in Thailand's judicial process in not extraditing Thaksin and by appointing him as its economic adviser.
The Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office Holders sentenced Thaksin in October 2008 to two years in jail on charges of abuse of power while he was prime minister between 2001 and 2006 by helping his wife secure the purchase of a prime real estate development site on Ratchadaphisek Road.
Cambodia refused to honour an extradition treaty with Thailand when Bangkok sought Thaksin's return after he travelled to Phnom Penh in mid-November last year to take up his post as economic adviser.
Both nations subsequently recalled their ambassadors and other senior embassy staff.
The ambassadors have yet to return to their posts.
Meanwhile, Sivarak Chutipong, the Thai engineer convicted in Cambodia on Dec 8 on charges of spying, yesterday thanked the government and the opposition Puea Thai Party for their help while he was held in detention in Phnom Penh.
Mr Sivarak, accompanied by his mother Simarak na Nakhon Phanom and his younger brother Pongsuree, visited Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva at Government House to express his thanks for the government's assistance while he faced charges in Cambodia, government spokesman Panithan Wattanayakorn said.
The Thai engineer, who works for Cambodia Air Traffic Services, was pardoned by the Cambodian king on Dec 12 after being convicted of supplying the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh with Thaksin's flight schedule. Mr Sivarak also visited Mr Kasit yesterday to thank him as well.
He and his family earlier visited the Puea Thai Party headquarters to express their gratitude to Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, the party's chairman, Thaksin's legal adviser Noppadol Pattama and Puea Thai spokesman Prompong Nopparit for their assistance that led to his release.
Mrs Simarak also thanked Gen Chavalit and the party for helping her son return to work in Cambodia.
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