Former Thai PM appointed as adviser of Cambodian PM and gov't

5/11/2009
Source: Xinhua

Former Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was officially appointed as adviser of his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen and the Royal Government of Cambodia y King Norodom Sihamoni, a statement of the Royal Government announced on Wednesday.

The King signed the Royal Decree of the appointment of Thaksin Shinawatra on Oct. 27. The appointment was made in accordance with the country's constitutions and at the request of Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Hun Sen said, as he arrived in the beach resort of Hua Hin, Thailand, for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit on Oct. 23, that "Thaksin can stay in Cambodia as a guest of Cambodia. He can also be my adviser on the economy".

The Cambodian leader repeated an earlier invitation to Thaksin to stay in Cambodia and rejected Thai claims that Phnom Penh would have to extradite the tycoon.

"Our concern is for humanitarian reasons, it is friends helping friends. The internal affairs of Thailand would be left for Thai people to resolve, I am not interfering," said Hun Sen.

Thaksin was toppled from power in 2006 and he has been living in self-exile in foreign countries since then to avoid a two-year jail term for corruption.

Also, in the statement, Cambodia said it will not extradite Thaksin at a request from Thailand if he comes and stays in Cambodia. Meanwhile, it said that the Royal Government will continue its policy of having friendly relations with Thailand.

Ties between Cambodia and Thailand have been soured since June 2008 amid a border conflict over land surrounding an 11th century temple. But relations have cooled further since Hun Sen made his first invitation to Thaksin last month.

The Cambodian government said earlier that under treaties between the two nations it could reject a request for Thaksin's extradition because it would be made on the grounds of "political offence."

Thaksin, born in Thailand's northern province Chiang Mai in 1949, became one of the richest people in Thailand by setting up telecommunications companies like Shin Corporation and Advanced Info Service before entering politics.

Thaksin entered politics by joining the Phalang Dharma Party (Power of Justice Party) in 1994, and once served as Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister in two administrations.