Friday, 17 December 2010

Abhisit may intervene for jailed Thais


via CAAI

Thursday, 16 December 2010 21:07 Cheang Sokha

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said he plans to intervene in the case of three Thai nationals who were sentenced in a Cambodian court last week to 18 months in prison.

According to a report by Thai news agency MCOT, Abhisit said on Wednesday that he assigned his country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to help the convicted trio and provide a legal remedy.

“I have asked Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya about this and it was affirmed that the ministry is currently following the situation,” Abhisit was quoted as saying.

“We’re studying how we can benefit from the agreements made between Thailand and Cambodia regarding this issue.”

Last week, Siem Reap provincial court sentenced the Thai nationals to 18 months in prison on charges of illegal entry and unlawful possession of weapons. Sanong Wongcharoen, 36, Lim Puangpet, 39, and Lan Sapsri, 53 – all from Surin province’s Sangkhla district – were arrested on August 18 by authorities in Oddar Meanchey province.

At the time of their arrest, Cambodian soldiers confiscated homemade guns, torches and batteries from the trio, who had strayed about 500 metres inside Cambodian territory.

Koy Kuong, spokesman for Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said his ministry had not received any contact from Thailand over the case of these men.

Ly Vengheng, defence lawyer for the convicted men, said yesterday that his clients are considering whether to lodge an appeal against their conviction.

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