Cambodian PM asks Justice Minister to release Thai activist [Hun Sen order the release of a suspected Thai spy, but order the jailing of an innocent Mam Sonando]

File photo : Veera Somkwamkid (left)

Souce:Xinhua Publish By Thomas Whittle

PHNOM PENH, Jan. 10 — Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Thursday asked Justice Minister Ang Vong Vathana to consider granting amnesty to a Thai “yellow-shirt” activist and reducing jail term for the other, according to a statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The pair is Veera Somkwamkid, one of the leaders of the People’ s Network against Corruption and a high-profile activist in the Thailand Patriot Network, and his secretary Ratree Pipatanapaiboon.

Cambodian court on Feb.1, 2011 convicted Veera and Ratree of illegal entry, unlawful entry into military base and espionage and sentenced them to eight years and six years respectively. They are being jailed in Prey Sar prison on the outskirts of the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh.

The statement said that following request by Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Hun Sen decided to ask the Justice Minister to consider pardoning Ratree when the late Cambodian King Father Norodom Sihanouk is cremated on Feb. 4.

He also asked the minister to consider reducing jail term for Veera in order to enable him to be released soon.

“Now, the Justice Ministry is studying the case and will make decision very soon,” it said.

Veera and Ratree were arrested on Dec. 29, 2010 along with five others including Democrat Party Member of Parliament Panich Vikitsreth, after they illegally entered Cambodian territory to observe border demarcation process.

The five were released in late January 2011 after Cambodian court suspended their sentences of nine months in jail. 

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Jail term reduction, amnesty for Thai activists in Khmer jail : Yingluck

The Nation
January 10, 2013

Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Thursday confirmed that Cambodia has reduced the prison terms of one of the two Thai activists jailed on espionage charges and granted amnesty to the other.

Yellow-shirt activist Veera Somkwamkid was sentenced to eight years in prison and Ratree Pipattanapaiboon to six years after being arrested along with other Thais on December 2011. The other were freed after a Cambodian court suspended their jail terms.

Yingluck said the Cambodian government has informed the Thai foreign ministry that yellowshirt activist Veera Somkwamkid's prison term would be reduced by six months as the first step. When the time comes, Cambodia would be asked to free him, she added.

For Ratree Pipattanapaiboon, amnesty was granted so she would be freed, she said.

The amnesty and the reduction followed a meeting between Yingluck and Hun Sen.

"On behalf of the Thai government, we would like to thank Cambodia for taking care of the cases and granting the amnesty for the benefits of the bilateral relations," she said.

Earlier Thai Foreign Minister Surapong Tohvichakchaikul said on Thursday that Cambodia was prepared to grant amnesty and reduce the prison terms for the Thai pair.

Speaking during an official visit to Pakistan, Surapong said Cambodia would confirm the matter soon.

Khmer media had quoted a Cambodian Foreign Ministry statement as saying that Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen had instructed the Justice Ministry to seek ways of giving amnesty to Veera and Ratree.