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Former foreign minister Noppadon Pattama on Wednesday lashed out at the National Anti-Corruption Commission for finding against him in connection with the Preah Vihear temple communique dispute, saying the decision was unfair.

The NACC on Tuesday ruled that former prime minister Samak Sundaravej and Mr Noppadon were to be held responsible for a cabinet resolution on June 17 last year to allow the then foreign minister to sign a joint communique backing Cambodia's bid to register Preah Vihear as a world heritage site without receiving prior approval from parliament as required by Article 190 of the constitution. The communique was signed on June 18

The two were also found to have violated Article 157 of the Criminal Code.

Mr Noppadon said the NACC's ruling was wrong in law and unfair to him and Mr Samak and was based on evidence supplied by political opponents of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

He insisted that the joint communique was not a treaty, but was only a political statement intended to protect territorial sovereignty. It was the only document in which Cambodia admitted the existence of overlapping border areas, he added.

The document had been carefully considered and agreed to by both Foreign Ministry officials, armed forces commanders at a National Security Council meeting, and the cabinet, said Mr Noppadon.

Although in fact many people were to be held responsible for the signing of the communique, the NACC opted to take legal action against only him and Mr Samak.

Mr Noppadon said he was ready to fight in court to prove his innocence and hoped to receive justice from the courts and the Senate.

The former foreign minister said he talked over this matter with Thaksin on the telephone and the fugitive former prime minister gave him moral support and talked to Mr Samak via his personal secretary.

Bangkok Post