PM to query Hun Sen about weapons training

12/10/2010
Bangkok Post

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will ask Cambodian leader Hun Sen about reports that hard-core red-shirt supporters were trained on Cambodian soil when they meet at a regional summit later this month, acting government spokesman Panithan Wattanayagorn said on Tuesday.

"The prime minister will seek clarification on the matter when he attends the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit in Vietnam at the end of this month," he said.

Mr Panithan spoke shortly after National Security Council secretary-general Thawil Pliensri confirmed information from the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) that 11 men arrested in a raid on a resort in Chiang Mai and suspected of planning acts of terror claimed that they and 28 others underwent weapons training in Cambodia.

DSI investigator Phayao Thongsen said on Monday that the arrested men and 28 other individuals underwent weapons training at Siem Reap.

According to Pol Lt Col Phayao, the 11 suspects said the training took three weeks.

They were shown anti-monarchy videos during the first week, the second week involved lessons in general weapons knowledge, while the final week involved actual hands-on use of weapons.

"The information released by the DSI about the 11 detained red-shirts confessing that they took part in arms training in the neighbouring country is true," Mr Thawil said. "But we are not making any accusation against Cambodia."

The 11 suspects, who supported the anti-government movement led by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), were arrested in Chiang Mai on Oct 2 and are being held without charge under the witness protection programme.

Cambodia has denied claims that it provided a training camp for red-shirt supporters planning assassinations in Thailand.

Cambodian government spokesman Khieu Kanharith has quoted by AP news wire, saying: "Why would we need to do this? Cambodia would receive absolutely no benefit from training these people."

"Cambodia strongly rejects these allegations," he said on Tuesday.