Deputy PM admits Thailand is in difficult position in helping seven Thais detained in Cambodia

BANGKOK, Jan 4 — Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban admitted that Thailand is finding it difficult to help the seven Thai nationals detained by Cambodian soldiers last Wednesday while they were on inspection tour of the border area near Sa Kaeo province adjacent to Cambodia’s Banteay Meanchay.

Democrat Party member of parliament Panich Vikitsreth, activist from Thailand Patriot Network Veera Somkwamkid and five others were charged in a Phnom Penh Court with illegal entry and illegally entering a military base, crimes with penalties of up to six months and one year. The Cambodian court has not yet set a date for their trial.

Mr Suthep said the Thai authorities were coordinated in attempting to help the detained Thais but the video clip of Mr Panich admitting that the group was entering Cambodian territory could cause a disadvantage in contesting the case.

He said he would wait until after the long New Year holiday to see if there were any developments and reactions from the authorities in Phnom Penh.

However, he hoped that the Cambodian leader would take into consideration the relations between the two countries which was recently improved.

Mr Panich was vice minister for foreign affairs before he resigned last year to contest a by-election and win a seat as a member of parliament for Bangkok.

He is now a member of a Joint House and Senate panel to examine the three meeting documents provided by the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) which is responsible for demarcating the shared border.

Meanwhile two video clips recorded during Mr Panich’s trip to the border area were posted on YouTube, an Internet video-sharing website, on Sunday. Mr Panich was heard talking on a telephone and telling someone at the other end to inform Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva through Mr Abhisit’s secretary that they had crossed the border and were on Cambodian territory.

According to the footage, Mr Panich was well aware that he was already on Cambodian soil. The recorded admission is believed to make it difficult to fight the case as Thailand initially planned the group’s defence on the grounds that they strayed unintentionally into Cambodia.

The families of the seven Thais, including Mr Panich’s wife, visited them in Prey Sor prison in Phnom Penh Monday.

Mr Abhisit said the Cabinet, at its weekly meeting on Tuesday would discuss the matter, and is seeking options to help the detained Thais. (MCOT online news)