Thailand informs Cambodian, Vietnamese embassies on spy arrest

Posted: June 11, 2011
(MCOT online news)

BANGKOK, June 10 - Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya on Friday said his ministry informed the Cambodian and Vietnamese embassies in Bangkok about the arrest of their nationals for alleged spying, affirming that legal action would be taken under Thai law.

Three men -- one Thai, a Vietnamese and a Cambodian -- were arrested by the Thai military authorities for alleged spying on this country’s military bases and bunkers for the local population in the border province of Si Sa Ket.

Mr Kasit said he instructed the Department of East Asian Affairs to continue to inform both embassies on details of the arrest and gave assurances that the case would proceed in accord with Thai law without any political intervention.

However, he would coordinate with police and the Office of the Attorney-General for the facts related to the case.

Police in Si Sa Ket's Kantharalak district and a unit of Special Forces Rangers based in the province arrested the three men, identified as Suchart Muhammad, 32, a Thai national; Ung Kimtai, 43, a Cambodian national, and Nguyen Tengyang, 37, a Vietnamese national.

The three men were detained at Phum Srol village at 5pm on Tuesday as they appeared to be driving systematically to locate Thai military base and bomb shelters for villagers in the province.

Regarding the possibility of exchanging those detained with two Thai activists now being jailed in a Cambodian prison on espionage charges, the Thai foreign minister said it remains to be seen how the judicial procedures runs its course.

A Cambodian court on Feb 1 ruled that Veera Somkwamkid, Thai Patriots Network coordinator, and his secretary Ratree Pipattanapaiboon were guilty of espionage, illegal entry, and trespassing in a military zone. Mr Veera was sentenced to an eight-year jail term and a 1.8 million riel (US$450) fine, while Ms Ratree was handed a six-year jail term and a 1.2 million riel (US$300) fine.

Mr Kasit said that in according to Thai law, a prisoner must serve at least two thirds of his or her jail term before an exchange of prisoners could be possible.

Thailand was ready to cooperate with Cambodia over the matter as the government did in the past, he said.