Source: Xinhua
10 Jan, 2011
A group of so-called "Yellow Shirt" Thais arrived in Cambodia on Sunday morning in order to visit the seven detained Thais and to advise them on legal aid.
The group consisted of three members of the Thailand Patriot Network and four journalists.
"We are here privately to meet Thai Ambassador, to visit the seven detained Thais and to meet their defense lawyers in order to provide legal advice to the detainees," a member of Thailand Patriot Network, Karoon Sai-ngam, who is a former Thai senator, told reporters through a translator on Sunday at a hotel in Phnom Penh. "We plan to create a legal advisor group to assist the seven detained Thais."
"We hope that Cambodian government will cooperate with us on this issue," he added.
The three members of the Thailand Patriot Network are lawyer Karoon Sai-ngam, former Thai senator Natapom Toprayoon, lawyer Ms. Walwipha Charooroj, an academic of Thai studies at Thammasat University of Thailand.
Koy Kuong, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Sunday that the group would be accompanied by the Thai embassy officials to visit the seven detained Thais at Prey Sar prison on Monday morning.
The seven detained Thais, including Panich Wikitsate, a Democrat Member of Parliament for Bangkok, Veera Somkwamkid, secretary general of People Network Against Corruption and Thailand Patriot Network core member, were arrested on Dec. 29, 2010 by Cambodian border protection army for illegal entry into Cambodian territory in Banteay Meanchey province and now are detained in Phnom Penh's Prey Sar prison.
On Dec. 30, deputy prosecutor of Phnom Penh Municipal Court Sok Roeun charged them with two cases -- illegal entry and illegally entering a military base along the border, crimes which in Cambodia carry penalties of up to six months and one year respectively and fine from 1 million to 2 million Cambodian riels (250-500 U.S. dollars).
On Jan. 6, the investigating judge of Phnom Penh Municipal Court, Chaing Sinat, had conducted a nearly 12 hour additional inquest on them, but the final decision has not been disclosed so far.
The Cambodian-Thai border has never been fully demarcated. And the two sides have had border conflict just one week after Cambodia's Preah Vihear Temple was registered as World Heritage Site in July 2008.
Since the conflict started, military standoff has been on and off along the two countries' border and several military clashes have already happened with recorded small causalities from both sides.
However, the border issue has been eased as the top leaders of Cambodia and Thailand have held four meetings since September.
Source: Xinhua
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