Veera was escorted to court on 18th January by Cambodian prison guards.Jan 12, 2011
Phnom Penh (DPA)- Cambodia's lower court on Wednesday wrapped up its questioning of two Thais including a prominent political figure on charges of spying.
Veera Somkwamkit, a former leader of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), and his secretary Ratree Taiputana appeared at the Phnom Penh municipal court for questioning.
The two are among seven Thai nationals arrested last month after illegally entering Cambodia. The seven told the court last week that they had crossed the border accidentally.
Parliamentarian Panich Vikitsreth of Thailand's ruling Democrat Party is also a defendant. A trial date has not yet been announced.
Thailand has expressed concerns about the new, more serious charges of spying.
'We're certainly concerned about the new charges because we have contended all along that the seven Thais who wandered in to Cambodia unwittingly did so with no ill intent,' Foreign Ministry spokesman Thani Thongphakdi said in Bangkok.
Members of the PAD vowed to protest outside Thailand's Government House on Thursday to pressure the government to do more for the seven border trespassers.
Cambodian Foreign Ministry spokesman Koy Kuong said the case remained under the authority of the courts, and maintained that it would not affect relations between the two countries.
'Our stance is to separate the case from bilateral relations,' he said, adding that Thai diplomats had not been in touch to discuss matters since the two foreign ministers met a fortnight ago.
Earlier this week, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said that since the seven were in the judicial system, the case was beyond anyone's influence.
Hun Sen said that if the seven were convicted of illegal entry and unlawfully entering a military base - charges that carry a maximum term of 18 months - they would need to serve two-thirds of their sentences before becoming eligible for parole.
However, if Veera and Ratree are convicted of the more serious charge of spying, they could face up to 10 more years in jail.
Relations between Thailand and Cambodia have been tense for more than two years with sporadic clashes between troops over disputed territory surrounding the 11th-century Hindu temple of Preah Vihear on the disputed common border.
The temple, known as Phra Viharn in Thailand, belongs to Cambodia under a 1962 ruling by the International Court of Justice, but sovereignty over 4.6 square kilometres of surrounding land is still in dispute.
The two countries are currently demarcating their border. Thailand's senior border negotiator was in Phnom Penh on Tuesday where he pledged to push ahead with the long-delayed process.
Veera Somkwamkit, a former leader of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), and his secretary Ratree Taiputana appeared at the Phnom Penh municipal court for questioning.
The two are among seven Thai nationals arrested last month after illegally entering Cambodia. The seven told the court last week that they had crossed the border accidentally.
Parliamentarian Panich Vikitsreth of Thailand's ruling Democrat Party is also a defendant. A trial date has not yet been announced.
Thailand has expressed concerns about the new, more serious charges of spying.
'We're certainly concerned about the new charges because we have contended all along that the seven Thais who wandered in to Cambodia unwittingly did so with no ill intent,' Foreign Ministry spokesman Thani Thongphakdi said in Bangkok.
Members of the PAD vowed to protest outside Thailand's Government House on Thursday to pressure the government to do more for the seven border trespassers.
Cambodian Foreign Ministry spokesman Koy Kuong said the case remained under the authority of the courts, and maintained that it would not affect relations between the two countries.
'Our stance is to separate the case from bilateral relations,' he said, adding that Thai diplomats had not been in touch to discuss matters since the two foreign ministers met a fortnight ago.
Earlier this week, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said that since the seven were in the judicial system, the case was beyond anyone's influence.
Hun Sen said that if the seven were convicted of illegal entry and unlawfully entering a military base - charges that carry a maximum term of 18 months - they would need to serve two-thirds of their sentences before becoming eligible for parole.
However, if Veera and Ratree are convicted of the more serious charge of spying, they could face up to 10 more years in jail.
Relations between Thailand and Cambodia have been tense for more than two years with sporadic clashes between troops over disputed territory surrounding the 11th-century Hindu temple of Preah Vihear on the disputed common border.
The temple, known as Phra Viharn in Thailand, belongs to Cambodia under a 1962 ruling by the International Court of Justice, but sovereignty over 4.6 square kilometres of surrounding land is still in dispute.
The two countries are currently demarcating their border. Thailand's senior border negotiator was in Phnom Penh on Tuesday where he pledged to push ahead with the long-delayed process.
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