Thai MP Panich, team still detained in Cambodia

Published: 29/12/2010
Bangkok Post

Seven Thais, including a Democrat MP and a yellow-shirt activist, are still being apprehended in Cambodia on Wednesday after negotiations between Thai and Cambodian authorities failed to reach a conclusion.
The seven Thais were arrested by Cambodian soliders near a disputed border area in Sa Kaeo province earlier today.
Two of the seven Thais are Democrat MP and former Bangkok deputy governor Panich Vikitsreth, and Thailand Patriot Network core member Veera Somkwamkid.
Reports said the seven Thais had been transported to Cambodia’s Banteay Meanchey province.
Deputy Prime Minister overseeing security Suthep Thaugsuban said he expected Cambodia to reply to Thailand’s request this evening.
“ The government had contacted Cambodia. I don’t understand why they went there,” Mr Suthep said.
Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) chairman Charoen Kanthawong earlier said their release had been confirmed by the secretary-general to the foreign minister, Chavanont Intharakomalsut.
Mr Charoen, a Democrat MP, said although Mr Panich is a JBC member he had not been assigned to go to the disputed border area in Sa Kaeo’s Aranyaprathet district where he was detained.
The JBC chief said he did not think Mr Panich’s arrest would hurt the relationship between Thailand and Cambodia.
Mr Panich said in a telephone interview that he and the six other Thais were on Thai soil when detained by Cambodian soldiers.
The MP for Bangkok said he went to the border in Sa Kaeo after receiving a complaint from villagers about Cambodian troops intruding into an area where they had rice fields with proper land title deeds.
He said that about 1pm his team left their vehicle at Nong Chan village in Khok Sung district of Sa Kaeo and were walking to the rice fields when eight or nine armed Cambodian soldiers appeared and arrested them.
The soldiers took their cameras, telephones and all cards from them, even though he identified himself as a member of parliament.
He and his six companions were held captive in an orchard.
Mr Panich said while other people negotiated with the Cambodian soldiers, he telephoned Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya’s secretary Chavanont.
The Cambodian soldiers had returned their belongings to them after they were contacted by the provincial governor, the district office and border patrol police, he said.