- Writer: Veera Prateepchaikul
- Position: Former Editor
Published: 20/11/2009
Bangkok Post
The Thai-Cambodian diplomatic row has degenerated to a ridiculous level with the latest claim by Jatuporn Promphan, a Puea Thai MP and a leader of the pro-Thaksin United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, that Cambodia had bugged telephone conversations between Bangkok and its embassy in Phnom Penh.
Mr Jatuporn claimed that Cambodian authorities had taped a conversation of Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya instructing the first secretary at the Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh, Kamrob Palawatwichai, to get details of the flights of convicted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Mr Kamrob was earlier declared persona non grata by Cambodia and expelled from Phnom Penh for allegedly getting the information on Thaksin, and Thai air traffic engineer Sivarak Chutiphong is being held on espionage charges.
Mr Jatuporn’s claim has been categorically denied by Mr Kasit, who challenged the opposition MP to release the taped conversation.
Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh also denied the claim, saying: “I think the one who made claims about the tape just did it for kicks, probably had a hidden agenda of drumming things up to the point of war between the two countries.''
The claim was also rejected by the Cambodian foreign ministry.
Following the arrest of Mr Sivarak, Cambodian authorities took over Cambodian Air Traffic Services, a subsidiary of Samart Corp of Thailand, and banned all the Thai staff from entering the company's premises.
Mr Siwarak is charged with stealing state secrets. His trial is yet to start and the Thai Foreign Affairs Ministry is getting a lawyer to defend him. Meanwhile, Thaksin said he had asked Cambodian authorities to ensure he gets a fair trial.
The diplomatic row started in mid-October following the return from a one-day visit to Phnom Penh of Puea Thai chairman Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh with a message from Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen - that he felt Thaksin was unfairly treated in Thailand.
This was followed by Hun Sen’s more provocative remarks about the Thai government and his appointment of the fugitive as Cambodia’s adviser on economic affairs.
The row has sent relations between Thailand and Cambodia to the lowest point since the burning of the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh in 2003.
Following his departure from Cambodia, Thaksin on Nov 17 used his Twitter to vent his anger at the Abhisit government and his perceived opponents. “Everything you guys do is right, but whatever we do is wrong. So how can we live together? How long can peace last? I will try to appeal to the red-shirted people to be patient, but I don’t known when their patience will snap…..,” the fugitive declared in his tweet.
Thaksin’s outburst followed the Foreign Ministry’s move one day earlier, when the ambsssador of the United Arab Emirates in Bangkok was summoned and notified that Thaksin has used Dubai as a launch pad for political activities against the Thai government.
Meanwhile, the UDD has announced a plan for prolonged mass protest beginning on Nov 28. Apart from a short break during celebrations of His Majesty the King's 82 birthday, the red-shirts threaten to continue their street action until the government falls or calls a general election.
Mr Jatuporn claimed that the protest would draw up to one million demonstrators.
A group of Democrat MPs has urged police and prosecutors to revoke Mr Jatuporn's bail for plotting to overthrow the government.
Last Sunday’s rally at Sanam Luang by the People’s Alliance for Democracy to show loyalty to the King ended with a grenade attack that injured a dozen demonstrators.
Police said the grenade was fired from an M-79 launcher about 300 metres away from the rally site while PAD leaders were on stage addressing their followers. It landed behind the stage.
Fingers were pointed at Maj-Gen Khatiya Sawatdiphol, aka Seh Daeng, who had predicted there would be a bombing. The officer in question however denied he had anything to do with the violent incident and threatened to sue anyone who implicated him.
The military also denied any involvement. Police continue their investigation, but many people doubt there will ever be an arrest.
The government on Thursday officially kicked started a scheme to help about one million households in debt to loan sharks.
Five commercial banks -- the Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, Government Housing Bank, Government Savings Bank, Krung Thai Bank and SME Bank -- and the Islamic Bank are involved in the scheme to refinance the informal debts owed to underground creditors. The maximum of debt to be refinanced is fixed at 200,000 baht and the interest rate to be charged is 15 per cent.
Other state agencies involved in the scheme include the Department of Special Investigation and the Anti-Money Laundering Office.
Debtors can apply for help from Dec 1 to 15.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said underground debt was an obstacle to government’s plan to bolster the economy.
Loan sharks are reputed to resort to intimidation and violence to force their customers to repay their loans. Interest rates are outrageous, ranging from 20 to 40 per cent per month. Many debtors are reported to have being beaten by thugs for failing to meet their dues.
Back to health problems, the Ministry of Public Health is preparing for a new wave of the H1N1 influenza epidemic with the arrival of the cold season. One confirmed death was reported in Bangkok bringing the death toll so far to 185 since the virus first emerged in Thailand. Many schoolchildren in Nakhon Ratchasima and Samut Prakan and several other provinces have shown flu-like symptoms, with some confirmed as having H1N1 swine flu .
Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai said the government was considering buying 800,000 more doses of H1N1 vaccine, having already purchased two million doses from France. Supplies of the vaccine would be distributed to private hospitals where people could buy it, he said.
Mr Jatuporn claimed that Cambodian authorities had taped a conversation of Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya instructing the first secretary at the Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh, Kamrob Palawatwichai, to get details of the flights of convicted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Mr Kamrob was earlier declared persona non grata by Cambodia and expelled from Phnom Penh for allegedly getting the information on Thaksin, and Thai air traffic engineer Sivarak Chutiphong is being held on espionage charges.
Mr Jatuporn’s claim has been categorically denied by Mr Kasit, who challenged the opposition MP to release the taped conversation.
Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh also denied the claim, saying: “I think the one who made claims about the tape just did it for kicks, probably had a hidden agenda of drumming things up to the point of war between the two countries.''
The claim was also rejected by the Cambodian foreign ministry.
Following the arrest of Mr Sivarak, Cambodian authorities took over Cambodian Air Traffic Services, a subsidiary of Samart Corp of Thailand, and banned all the Thai staff from entering the company's premises.
Mr Siwarak is charged with stealing state secrets. His trial is yet to start and the Thai Foreign Affairs Ministry is getting a lawyer to defend him. Meanwhile, Thaksin said he had asked Cambodian authorities to ensure he gets a fair trial.
The diplomatic row started in mid-October following the return from a one-day visit to Phnom Penh of Puea Thai chairman Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh with a message from Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen - that he felt Thaksin was unfairly treated in Thailand.
This was followed by Hun Sen’s more provocative remarks about the Thai government and his appointment of the fugitive as Cambodia’s adviser on economic affairs.
The row has sent relations between Thailand and Cambodia to the lowest point since the burning of the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh in 2003.
Following his departure from Cambodia, Thaksin on Nov 17 used his Twitter to vent his anger at the Abhisit government and his perceived opponents. “Everything you guys do is right, but whatever we do is wrong. So how can we live together? How long can peace last? I will try to appeal to the red-shirted people to be patient, but I don’t known when their patience will snap…..,” the fugitive declared in his tweet.
Thaksin’s outburst followed the Foreign Ministry’s move one day earlier, when the ambsssador of the United Arab Emirates in Bangkok was summoned and notified that Thaksin has used Dubai as a launch pad for political activities against the Thai government.
Meanwhile, the UDD has announced a plan for prolonged mass protest beginning on Nov 28. Apart from a short break during celebrations of His Majesty the King's 82 birthday, the red-shirts threaten to continue their street action until the government falls or calls a general election.
Mr Jatuporn claimed that the protest would draw up to one million demonstrators.
A group of Democrat MPs has urged police and prosecutors to revoke Mr Jatuporn's bail for plotting to overthrow the government.
Last Sunday’s rally at Sanam Luang by the People’s Alliance for Democracy to show loyalty to the King ended with a grenade attack that injured a dozen demonstrators.
Police said the grenade was fired from an M-79 launcher about 300 metres away from the rally site while PAD leaders were on stage addressing their followers. It landed behind the stage.
Fingers were pointed at Maj-Gen Khatiya Sawatdiphol, aka Seh Daeng, who had predicted there would be a bombing. The officer in question however denied he had anything to do with the violent incident and threatened to sue anyone who implicated him.
The military also denied any involvement. Police continue their investigation, but many people doubt there will ever be an arrest.
The government on Thursday officially kicked started a scheme to help about one million households in debt to loan sharks.
Five commercial banks -- the Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, Government Housing Bank, Government Savings Bank, Krung Thai Bank and SME Bank -- and the Islamic Bank are involved in the scheme to refinance the informal debts owed to underground creditors. The maximum of debt to be refinanced is fixed at 200,000 baht and the interest rate to be charged is 15 per cent.
Other state agencies involved in the scheme include the Department of Special Investigation and the Anti-Money Laundering Office.
Debtors can apply for help from Dec 1 to 15.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said underground debt was an obstacle to government’s plan to bolster the economy.
Loan sharks are reputed to resort to intimidation and violence to force their customers to repay their loans. Interest rates are outrageous, ranging from 20 to 40 per cent per month. Many debtors are reported to have being beaten by thugs for failing to meet their dues.
Back to health problems, the Ministry of Public Health is preparing for a new wave of the H1N1 influenza epidemic with the arrival of the cold season. One confirmed death was reported in Bangkok bringing the death toll so far to 185 since the virus first emerged in Thailand. Many schoolchildren in Nakhon Ratchasima and Samut Prakan and several other provinces have shown flu-like symptoms, with some confirmed as having H1N1 swine flu .
Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai said the government was considering buying 800,000 more doses of H1N1 vaccine, having already purchased two million doses from France. Supplies of the vaccine would be distributed to private hospitals where people could buy it, he said.
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