Thaksin leaves Cambodia

Thaksin was seen by an AFP reporter departing the country on Saturday morning by private jet. -- PHOTO: AFP

SIEM REAP (Cambodia) - FUGITIVE former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra left Cambodia on Saturday, officials said, concluding a trip that has stoked a major diplomatic crisis between the two neighbours.

Thaksin, who was toppled in a military coup in 2006 and is living abroad to avoid a jail term for corruption in Thailand, was seen by an AFP reporter departing the country on Saturday morning by private jet.

Cambodia's deputy cabinet minister Prak Sokhon confirmed Thaksin had left, four days after arriving in the country to take up a role as economics adviser to the government.

Some 50 members of parliament from Thailand's main pro-Thaksin party, Puea Thai, who travelled to Cambodia to meet the billionaire tycoon, waved him off as his plane took off from the airport at the tourist hub of Siem Reap.

The Thai government was outraged by Thaksin's appointment and Cambodia's refusal to extradite him to Thailand on the grounds that his graft conviction was politically motivated. Both countries recalled their respective ambassadors last week.

Cambodia upped the ante on Thursday, expelling the first secretary to Thailand's embassy after the arrest of a Thai man in Phnom Penh on charges of spying on Thaksin. Thailand reciprocated, expelling Cambodia's first secretary from Bangkok. -- AFP

Read More...

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen examines a weapon from a soldier of division 911 during a welcome ceremony after the troops withdrew from the disputed border with Thailand, in Siem Reap, 320 km (198 miles) southwest of Phnom Penh, November 13, 2009.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen waves at soldiers from division 911 during a ceremony welcoming the troops back after they withdrew from the disputed border with Thailand, in Siem Reap, 320 km (198 miles) southwest of Phnom Penh, November 13, 2009.

Thaksin Shinawatra (Right) introduces his red-shirted supporters to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen (Left) before playing golf at a hotel in Siem Reap, 320 km (198 miles) southwest of Phnom Penh, November 13, 2009.

Thailand's fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra (Left) is embraced by a supporter as he greets red-shirted supporters at a hotel in Siem Reap November 12, 2009.





Read More...

Abhisit won't cut troops

Khmer pullout from temple 'a tactical ploy'

Thailand will not dance to Cambodia's tune by withdrawing troops from the disputed Preah Vihear temple area, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva says.

Mr Abhisit said yesterday more pressure would be put on Cambodia next week.

Cambodia's removal of troops from the area was just a tactical ploy, he said. Phnom Penh wanted to give the appearance there were no problems relating to its plans to develop the ancient Hindu temple as a World Heritage site.

"It is their plan and we are not going in that direction," Mr Abhisit said, after a meeting with Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya.

Read More...

Cambodia not expel more Thai diplomats : spokesman

"Our government's stance so far is not purposed to expel other Thai diplomats," Koy Koung, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry told Xinhua.

"But first secretary of royal Thai embassy to Cambodia really involved with spying in Cambodia. We have concrete evidence to show that Thai first secretary and a Thai man who was arrested recently by our police have spied here," Koy Koung added. Thai man will be sentenced by our court soon, he said.

Cambodian government on Thursday expelled a Thai diplomat, claiming that "he has performed his duty contrary to his diplomatic position." Read More...

Sacravatoons no 1534 : " The Thief Catcher "

By ( http://www.sacrava.blogspot.com)

Diplomats expelled in tit-for-tat

CAMBODIA and Thailand expelled senior diplomats from their respective embassies on Thursday, the same day that fugitive Thai former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra told an audience in Phnom Penh that Thailand’s current leadership is guilty of “false patriotism”.

“We declared the first secretary of the Thai embassy as persona non grata,” Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Koy Kuong said.
“We just declared that, and then Thailand reciprocated, meaning our first secretary to the Cambodian embassy in Bangkok will come back, too.”

Asked to explain the Cambodian government’s decision, Koy Kuong said only that the Thai first secretary “performed his duty contrary to his position”.

Read More...

No Cambodian-Thai dispute raised at a meeting with Obama

Cambodia will not bring up a dispute with its neighboring Thailand in the first meeting of Asean leaders with the US President Barack Obama to be held this Sunday in Singapore, a foreign ministry's official said Friday.

“The first reason is that, this is an Asean’s internal affair, and secondly Cambodia wants this first meeting to proceed with a success,” Koy Kuong, a spokesman for Cambodia’s foreign ministry, said.

The statement was made after the Asean Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan expressed his concern during a lecture at Lee Kwan Yew school of public diplomacy in Singapore that current diplomatic row between Cambodia and Thailand would affect the first Asean-US meeting.

Read More...

Thaksin accuses Abhisit government of 'false patriotism'

Thailand's current leadership is guilty of “false patriotism”, fugitive ex-Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra told an audience in Phnom Penh on Thursday.

Click To See Video...

Thai man arrest for spying in Cambodia

PHNOM PENH, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Police Authority has arrested a Thai engineer for allegedly spying for Thailand and sent him to court, police official said on Friday.

"We have already sent him to court and the court will deal with this issue," Kieth Chantharith, spokesman for Cambodia National Police Authority told Xinhua. But he did not elaborate in details about these issues.

The Thai man named Siwarak Chothipong in Khmer, 31, worked as aengineer in CATS, was arrested on Wednesday according to the arrest warrant of prosecutor of Phnom Penh Municipality Court, theKhmer language newspaper Rasmei Kampuchea reported.

Read More......

Obama Begins First Presidential Trip to Asia

U.S. President Barack Obama is on his way to Japan, the first stop on an Asian journey that will also take him to China, South Korea, and a meeting of Pacific Rim leaders in Singapore.

The president will waste no time in Japan, getting to work almost immediately after Air Force One touches down at a Tokyo airport.

Read More...

National Assembly To Pull Sam Rainsy Immunity

A National Assembly committee on Thursday moved to revoke the parliamentary immunity of opposition leader Sam Raisny, who is facing charges in Svay Rieng provincial court of destruction of property and incitement of racial discrimination.

The Permanent Committee of the Assembly approved a Ministry of Justice request that his immunity be removed for investigation to proceed, said Cheam Yiep, a senior lawmaker for the ruling Cambodian People’s Party.

Read More....

The woman forcing to sell herself a day 30 people receive word peace price

Read More.....

Talks dead in the water: Thailand pulls out of maritime negotiations / Agreements with Cambodia reviewed / Countires recall their ambassadors

The Thai government is striking where it believes Cambodia will feel it most by cancelling talks on the disputed maritime boundary in the Gulf of Thailand, a government source says.

The move comes in retaliation for Phnom Penh’s decision to appoint ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra as an economic adviser, the source said.

The government, with full backing from Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, recalled Thai ambassador to Cambodia Prasas Prasasvinitchai and reviewed all agreements and cooperation with the neighbouring country. Read More............

Poem Mock

Snaeha S-ett Lmuot

Chanh Pi Dam-nor (by Young Poet Sath Pho)

By (http://kamnapkumnou.blogspot.com/)

Sacravatoons no 1531 : " Thaksin Shinawatra "

By (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi307NVsn7HCW6T7P2Kebgmo4fGdDgm6IViIxVj6Qk49SkPIsFtGSyLAk-nyD7lVuF3MxRrj_9RVGqbpuZTLDN9qBZthbFzTp4GlyNdnw9b_Yob_xf7bk28zTE_r19FsyjbxBIiFKeLjtA/s1600-h/sacrava+noo+1531.jpg)

Thaksin to leave Phnom Penh Friday

Ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra will leave Cambodia tomorrow to return to Dubai a close associate of the fugitive politician, Noppadon Pattama, said on Thursday morning.

He said Thaksin, as an economic advisor to Cambodian government, will this morning give a special lecture on economic and rural development, investment and poverty eradication to Cambodian MPs and state officials.

Read More.....

Cambodia Rejects Thai Request to Extradite Former Leader

Cambodia has rejected Thailand's request for the extradition of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. There now are suggestions that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations should intervene to reduce tensions that have risen between the two countries.

Thai diplomats on Wednesday morning presented Cambodian officials with a request to detain and extradite Thaksin Shinawatra. The former prime minster is wanted in Thailand after fleeing a year ago to avoid a two-year jail sentence for corruption.

Read More......

Hun Sen ups his ante to near confrontation

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, smarting from his costly miscalculation in appointing fugitive Thaksin Shinawatra as his adviser, continues to overplay his hand in a big gamble, putting his country at stake in a diplomatic dispute with Thailand. This time, he wants to elevate the spat to a confrontation.

Read More.......

Holdout Rik Reay families spurn new City Hall offer

Official warns of Dey Krahorm-like eviction if 13 families refuse compensation from municipality and Canadia Bank.

Read More........

Cambodia Marks Independence Day

By Chun Sakada and Heng Reaksmey
Original report from Phnom Penh
09 November 2009

Thousands of people gathered in Phnom Penh Monday to begin three days of independence celebrations, 56 years after Cambodia left 90 years of French colonial rule.

King Norodom Sihamoni, whose father, Norodom Sihanouk, led the country through independence, lighted the flame of victory at Independence Monument, which will burn for three days to honor “patriots” who died in the cause of national independence.

Senior government officials, including Prime Minister Hun Sen, attended the ceremony, as well as students and foreign diplomats attended the ceremony.

“This Nov. 9 Independence Day is a day to bring happiness and prosperity to Cambodians,” Kem Sokha, president of the Human Rights Party, said in a letter to the king, calling it a day for “mass solidarity under the shade of the royal crown.”

However, the day of celebration was darkened by a lingering diplomatic row with neighboring Thailand over the appointment of ousted Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra as an economic adviser to Hun Sen.

Hun Sen said on Sunday Thaksin could travel to Cambodia this week, to give a lecture to Cambodian officials, a move opposed by Bangkok, which withdrew its ambassador last week.

Thai Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said Monday Thailand would officially contact Cambodia over extradition if Thaksin arrives in Cambodia.

Cambodia has also withdrawn its ambassador from Bangkok. Thai officials say the next step could be to close the borders.

Hanoi Backs Khmer-Siem Conflict (by Hin Sithan)

By(http://kamnapkumnou.blogspot.com/2009/11/hanoi-backs-khmer-siem-conflict-by-hin.html)

Thais Threaten to Close Cambodian Borders

By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer

Original report from Phnom Penh

06 November 2009

Thailand’s deputy prime minister on Friday warned the country could close its borders to Cambodia, after each withdrew their ambassadors in a worsening row over ousted Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

Both sides have troops amassed on the border following skirmishes over Preah Vihear temple last year, but military officials said Friday the situation remained calm.

The two countries share seven international checkpoints, as well as 12 others, along 800 kilometers of border.

Thai Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban was quoted Friday saying worsening relations could lead to closed checkpoints, following Cambodia’s announcement it had made Thaksin an economic adviser to Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Thaksin is in self-imposed exile and faces a two-year jail sentence for corruption charges if he returns to Thailand. Hun Sen has said he would welcome the former premier, who was ousted in a bloodless coup in 2006, in spite of an extradition treaty with Thailand.

“If Cambodia still adopts a hard line and uncompromising attitude, then we must continue to downgrade relations and maybe seal off all border checkpoints,” Suthep was quoted by Agence France-Presse as saying.

Government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said he wasn’t surprised by the warning, but he added that Thailand would suffer more from a border closure than Cambodia.

The deepening diplomatic crisis had no bearing on a military standoff along the northern border, officials said Friday.

Defense Minister Tea Banh told VOA Khmer the border situation was “quiet” and “normal,” despite the withdrawal of ambassadors from Bangkok and Phnom Penh.

Chea Mon, commander of Division 4, said Cambodian soldiers were maintaining their positions on the border, which was quiet.