Hun Sen to seek reduced jail terms for Veera and Ratree

Yingluck and Hun Sen pose for photograph with their spouses.

By The Nation, Agencies
Published on September 16, 2011

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen promised visiting Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday that he would seek reduced jail terms for two Thai activists imprisoned for espionage, but insisted a royal pardon could be considered only after they had served two-thirds of their sentences.

During their meeting in Phnom Penh, Yingluck had asked Hun Sen to seek a way to help Veera Somkwamkid and Ratree Pipattanapaiboon, who are serving eight and six years, respectively.

They were arrested in December while inspecting a disputed border area near Sa Kaew's Ban Nongchan village.

The prime ministers also discussed overlapping maritime claims, trade, investment, and a plan to issue third-country tourists with a single visa for the two countries, Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said.

The two leaders agreed to comply fully with an International Court of Justice (ICJ) injunction to withdraw troops from a disputed border area adjacent to Preah Vihear Temple and allow Indonesian observers to monitor a cease-fire, he said.

Yingluck and Hun Sen assigned their defence ministers to decide details of the Preah Vihear peacekeeping operation and the withdrawal of troops from the ICJ-determined demilitarised zone.

The ICJ issued provisional measures ordering a troop withdrawal pending an interpretation of its 1962 judgement on the temple as requested by Cambodia. The court ruled in 1962 that the temple is situated in Cambodia, but Thailand argues that its adjacent land belongs to Thailand.

Hun Sen told Yingluck that if the ICJ decides that the disputed 4.6 sq km near Preah Vihear belongs to Thailand, Cambodia will hand it to Thailand unconditionally, Hor Namhong said.