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12/11/09
Bangkok Post

Cambodian soldiers have been invited to join a sports day the army is organising in the border province of Si Sa Ket today to ease increasingly tense ties between the two countries.

An army source said army chief Anupong Paojinda issued an order on Tuesday morning for the 2nd Army to sponsor the sports day.

The games will be played by Thai and Cambodian soldiers stationed near the Preah Vihear temple on the border.

Residents of Phum Sarol village in tambon Sao Thongchai in Kantharalak district will also take part in the event.

The strained relations between Thailand and Cambodia over Phnom Penh's appointment of fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra as economic adviser have placed the border situation under close watch.

The sports activities including volleyball and tug-of-war would brighten up the atmosphere, the source said.

The sports day is scheduled for today as Thaksin plans to deliver a talk as an economic adviser to the Cambodian government.

The sporting event is aimed at demonstrating that despite the presence of Thaksin in Cambodia and the downgraded diplomatic ties, the border atmosphere remained peaceful.

The Thai military invited the comm

12/11/09
Bangkok Post

The government will review its cooperation with Cambodia after Phnom Penh refused to give up fugitive former leader Thaksin Shinawatra.

Cambodia yesterday rejected a request from Thailand for the extradition of Thaksin, who arrived in Phnom Penh on Tuesday to take up his posting as adviser to the prime minister and the government.

The two countries have an extradition agreement but Cambodia claims Thaksin is a victim of politics and will not be returned.

The Thai embassy in Phnom Penh, led by minister of the Thai embassy Chalotorn Phaovihul, yesterday submitted a provisional arrest and extradition request to Cambodia's Foreign Ministry.

The ministry handed back the document with a note denying the request.

"This response letter is enough to tell the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Thailand that there will be no extradition," Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said at a televised news conference with Thaksin in Phnom Penh.

"Some leaders have been toppled during times of provocation but Thaksin was toppled during a time when he was on a mission for his nation.

"So he is a political victim of the coup d'etat of 19 September, 2006."

The government said it would review its agreements with Cambodia in protest against Phnom Penh's refusal, but insisted the dispute could be kept at the bilateral level. Nor would it lead to violence.

"It is a regret that Cambodia does not follow international practice [by returning Thaksin]. We feel compelled to review cooperation pacts in addition to those which were reconsidered by the cabinet on Nov 10," Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said.

Thaksin is in the Cambodian capital to give a speech today to economists. Hun Sen last week appointed him as an economic adviser. The appointment soured relations with Thailand, which wants Thaksin returned to serve a jail term for corruption. The Supreme Court last year sentenced Thaksin to two years in jail for conflict of interest in the 2003 Ratchadaphisek property deal.

Both Thailand and Cambodia recalled their ambassadors after Thaksin's appointment as adviser was announced last week, The dispute escalated further when the government cancelled a memorandum of understanding with Cambodia concerning an overlapping maritime area in the Gulf of Thailand.

Mr Abhisit said the Foreign Ministry would shortlist cooperation programmes that could be reviewed.

Thailand would make sure any new conflicts were contained and solved at the bilateral level, to avoid affecting ties at the Asean level.

The memo calls for settlement of a disputed maritime territory and a joint development plan. The government's decision to withdraw still needs the backing of parliament.

Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said in Singapore the review would cover assistance schemes which would affect people in both countries. However, Bangkok would honour an agreement to send Cambodian prisoners in Thai jails back to Phnom Penh, he said.

Mr Abhisit said he wanted Thai-Cambodian relations to return to normal but Phnom Penh's political stance was inappropriate and contrary to international practice.

Thailand would not resort to force or close its border to show its displeasure as that would affect people along the border, he said.

Almost 100 Puea Thai Party MPs have registered for a trip to Cambodia to visit Thaksin, who is expected to stay in Phnom Penh until Saturday. They plan to leave for Cambodia tomorrow. Yaowapa Wongsawat, Thaksin's sister, is organising the trip.

11/11/09
Bangkok Post

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has called for an urgent meeting with his deputy Suthep Thaugsuban and three other ministers after Cambodia rejected the Thai government’s request for extradition of fugitive ex-leader Thaksin Shinawatra.

Other ministers at the meeting were Justice Minister Pirapan Salirathavibhaga, Energy Minister Wannarat Channukul and PM’s Office Minister Sathit Wongnongtoey.

Reporters were given no indication what they would discuss as the men went in to the meeting.

11/11/09
Bangkok Post

The Foreign Ministry has received a letter from Cambodia refusing Thailand's request to extradite deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Panich Wikitset, assistant to the foreign minister, said on Wednesday.

Mr Panich said the letter stressed that Cambodia cannot send Thaksin to Thailand because the former Thai prime minister was a political, not criminal, convict.

The government would hold a meeting to assess the development. At this stage, the Foreign Ministry would send a reply to Cambodia reaffirming that the court case in which Thaksin was sentenced to two years in jail was criminal, not political.

The verdict against Thaksin issued by the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions clearly states that Thaksin committed a criminal offence while holding the office of prime minister of Thailand, Mr Panich said.

Mr Panich said Thailand had not yet considered closing the border with Cambodia or taking other measures to pressure Cambodia.

11/11/2009
Bangkok Post

The government has no special plan for bringing ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra back to Thailand to face the charges against him because it must respect the sovereignty of Cambodia, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said on Wednesday.

What the government could do, he said, is to use diplomatic channels, which are internationally-accepted.

The Foreign Ministry and the Office of the Attorney-General would explain to Cambodia and global communities that Thaksin is a fugitive who fled criminal charges and a jail sentence handed down by the Supreme Court, and that he is not entitled to political asylum as he has claimed, Mr Suthep said.

He hoped the Cambodian government would put the relationship between the two countries ahead of personal interests.

It would not be easy to extradite Thaksin back here, he admitted.

Mr Suthep expressed concern that Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen had challenged the Thai government to close the border.

The Thai government would not be swayed by anger or any other emotion in deciding whether to close frontier checkpoints, he said.

2009-11-11
CCTV (China)

Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia are raising concerns from members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Indonesia, says the dispute has to end, and the bloc must return to the usual path of friendship within ASEAN.

Marty Natalegawa, Indonesian Foreign Minister, said, "Tension between Cambodia and Thailand is something we're following extremely closely with a great deal of concern, to be honest, because it affects two fellow members of ASEAN, and we see the deterioration of relations to be in total disconnect with what ought to mark how ASEAN member countries ought to engage with one another."

Wed, November 11, 2009
By Supalak Ganjanakhundee
The Nation

Phnom Penh - Cambodia's Foreign Ministry refused Wednesday to receive Thailand's request to extradite fugtive ex-Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, sources said.

Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh in the morning handed over the request to the Cambodia's foreign ministry to take Thaksin who is in Phnom Penh for the second day.

However the Thai embassy was informed that the ministry will have to wait for recommendation from its PM's Office.

In the meantime, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen is meeting with Thaksin Shinawatra at his office.

Thaksin began his second day in Phnom Penh with the four-eyed meeting with Hun Sen to discuss economic plan for Cambodia, sources said.