Bail Requested for Seven Thai Detainees in Cambodia

The seven Thais brought to court on 5th January.

Malaysian Digest

BANGKOK, 11 JANUARY, 2011: Thailand's lawyers have submitted a bail request for seven Thai detainees in Cambodia, whereby two of them have now faced additional charges, making attempts to seek for their release more complicated, according Thai news agency on Tuesday.

The bail request was submitted to the Cambodian court on Monday (Jan 10) and will take about five days for the Phnom Penh court to consider and decide on the request, resulting in the seven Thai nationals' continued stay in the Prey Sar Prison in the Cambodian capital in the meantime.

The seven Thais, including a Bangkok MP of the ruling Democrat Party Panich Vikitsreth, and a leading activist of the Thai Patriots Network aligned with the yellow-shirt People's Alliance for Democracy or PAD, Veera Somkwamkid, were arrested by Cambodian soldiers on December 29.

While being on an inspection trip in a border area in Thailand's eastern Sa Kaeo's Province adjacent to Cambodia's Banteay Meanchey Province and have been detained in the neighbouring country since then.

The Cambodian court charged them with illegal entry and illegal trespass on a Cambodian military zone.

The two charges carry a combined maximum penalty of 18 months in jail.

However, the plight of the seven Thai nationals appeared to be worsened Monday when two of them including Veera and his secretary Ratree Pipatanapaiboon--were additionally charged with illegally collecting security information and could face a 5-10 year imprisonment each if found guilty by the Cambodian court.

Meanwhile, Veera's Thai Patriots Network, whose supporters have rallied at the Government House in Bangkok to pressure the Thai government to exercise tougher stance against Cambodia for a quick release of the seven Thai people, submitted a letter to UN Secretary-general Ban Ki Moon through the UN regional headquarters in the Thai capital on Monday.

They appealed for the UN's action to assist the seven Thai citizens.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen insisted that no one could intervene in the Cambodian judicial system, vowing that attempts by any party to have the seven Thai nationals released would not bear fruit as only the Cambodian court has the right to rule on the case.

But Hun Sen said that he did not expect the case would affect bilateral relations between Thailand and Cambodia.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva called an urgent meeting on Monday with Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan and Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, but no new measures have yet been announced related to the case.

- Bernama