No Thai confirmation of 2nd arrest in Cambodia

SINGAPORE, Nov 14 (TNA) — Thailand on Saturday could not confirm that a second Thai citizen was detained in Cambodia as reported by a Phnom Penh newspaper, according to Panithan Watanayakorn, deputy secretary-general to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

In a telephone interview from Singapore, Mr. Panithan, acting government spokesman, said he had received no report that a security official attached to the Thai Armed Forces Security Centre in Bangkok was arrested by Cambodian authorit ies.

The Khmer newspaper said an officer known only as “Manit” was arrested at City Angkor, a hotel inSiem Reap where Thailand’s former premier Thaksin Shinawatra was staying.

Mr Thaksin arrived in Cambodia on Tuesday and, according to news reports, left early Saturday by private jet to an unknown destination.

The Armed Forces Security Centre, meanwhile, denied that anyone from its staff had been arrested in Cambodia and that no one was sent to that country to spy on Mr Thaksin.

Armed Forces spokesman Col Sitthichai Makkunchorn said there was no Security Centre staff named Manit but that the Cambodian newspaper should give his surname.

He affirmed that no Thai military personnel had gone to Cambodia and none had been arrested,

The information from the Cambodian side may inaccurate but the report had tarnished the Armed Forces Security Centre.

On Thursday, Cambodia arrested a Thai engineer in Phnom Penh on charges of spying on Mr Thaksin. The Thai government has denied the charges.

Thani Thongphakdi, Deputy Director-General of the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs Department of Information said the ministry had forwarded the letter to ask for the permission from Cambodian authorities to visit detained 31-year-old Siwarak Chothipong, an engineer at Cambodia Air Traffic Services (CATS).

He was accused of giving Mr Thaksin’s flight schedule to the first secretary at the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh.

Mr Thani said until now there was no reply from Cambodia giving such permission, but it is the weekend and no official is working. The ministry would closely follow up the request.

He added that there were four or five people working at the Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh and that Chalothorn Phaowibul, charge d’affaires, is the highest ranking Thai diplomatic staff there. The military attaches are currently stationed in Phnom Penh. (TNA)