Mon, Nov 16, 2009
AFP
(Posted by CAAI News Media)
PHNOM PENH - Cambodia and Thailand reignited their diplomatic row Monday over fugitive former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra, giving disputing accounts over consular visits to a Thai man accused of spying.
The Cambodian foreign ministry said a Thai embassy official was allowed on Monday to visit Siwarak Chothipong, 31, who was arrested Thursday on charges of supplying details of Thaksin's flight schedule to his country's embassy.
But Bangkok, already furious over Phnom Penh's refusal to extradite Thaksin when he visited Cambodia last week, denied that its diplomats had been granted access to the man, an employee at the Cambodia Air Traffic Service.
"Today, we agreed to allow (a Thai diplomat) to visit the man at 2:00 pm (0700 GMT) in the prison where he is being temporarily detained," Cambodian foreign ministry spokesman Koy Kuong told AFP.
The spy allegations prompted Phnom Penh to expel the Thai embassy's first secretary Thursday and Thailand reciprocated hours later.
Thaksin, who visited under his new role as economic adviser to Cambodia, left the country on Saturday, ending a contentious four-day visit that deepened a diplomatic storm between already bickering Bangkok and Phnom Penh.
The Thai government was outraged by the appointment, causing the neighbours to recall their ambassadors. Cambodia refused to extradite Thaksin on the grounds that his graft conviction was politically motivated.
Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said diplomats had not yet been able to visit Siwarak.
"Since he was arrested, Thai embassy officials have kept contacting Cambodian officials to seek permission to visit him, but we have not been granted it yet," Kasit told reporters.
"The visit is an international standard for whoever has been arrested. So far there is no official charge either, the Thai foreign ministry has sent a letter asking and there is no reply from Cambodia."
Thailand has put all talks and cooperation programmes with Cambodia on hold, torn up an oil and gas exploration deal signed during Thaksin's time in power and placed under review two road-building projects worth 42 million dollars.
Tensions were already high between the two countries following a series of deadly military clashes over disputed territory near the 11th century Preah Vihear temple on their shared border.
Twice-elected Thaksin fled Thailand in August 2008, a month before a court sentenced him to two years in jail in a conflict of interest case.
He has retained enormous influence in Thai politics by stirring up protests against the current government and analysts said that in Cambodian Premier Hun Sen he had found a new way to push for a return to power.
No comments:
Post a Comment