Thailand Going Rogue

Bangkok's political turmoil is damaging regional stability.

Fighting over the disputed territory surrounding the Preah Vihear Temple along the Thai-Cambodia border resumed last Friday, with both sides trading artillery fire and accusations of targeting civilian villages throughout the weekend. The Associated Press reports 12 soldiers confirmed dead.

The world may never know which side started the latest clash, since Thailand continues to resist allowing international observers to monitor the area. And both countries deserve some blame for stirring the pot at various times. Nevertheless, it has become increasingly clear that the Thai military is doing nothing to ease the tension.

That much we know from the way that the military, and then Bangkok, vetoed initiatives to get the two sides talking. After the last major bout of fighting in February, Cambodia succeeded in bringing the matter to the United Nations Security Council, which promptly kicked it back to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Indonesia, the chair of Asean this year, has played shuttle diplomacy trying to bring the two sides together, but Bangkok continues to balk. That has allowed Cambodia to play the aggrieved and more reasonable party.

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Associated Press
Thailand's unwillingness to even contemplate compromise may be due to the broader impasse in its domestic politics. In 2008, the royalist People's Alliance for Democracy, more commonly known as the yellow shirts, took up the temple issue as a cudgel against the government of Samak Sundaravej. The same group has now turned on Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and is castigating him for not taking more aggressive action to recover the temple.

Meanwhile, the military is positioning itself as the main defender of the monarchy and Thai sovereignty. Tension between the military and the civilian government has been mounting since Mr. Abhisit announced elections would be held within the next few months. Bangkok is rife with rumors that a coup is imminent.

The military, palace and business elite all fear that supporters of deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will win their fourth straight general election. The last three results were annulled by a coup and court rulings, and the red shirt supporters of Mr. Thaksin have become increasingly restive as a result of their disenfranchisement. Even if their Puea Thai Party wins, there is a strong chance they will not be allowed to form a government. So further unrest later this year seems likely.

In this context, a fight with Cambodia might seem an appealing way out of the deadlock. A limited war with a much smaller neighbor could unify Thais, as the red shirts would feel pressure to get behind the military in a time of national crisis. Mr. Abhisit, who has never won an election and is widely regarded as a figurehead within Thailand, could be dispensed with, and elections pushed off until the glow of victory and massive public spending restore the Bangkok elite's popularity.

Perhaps the Thai military understands how much could go wrong with such a scenario and is only engaging in brinksmanship. But even this runs the risk of accidental escalation. And once a conflict starts, Asean nations would be put in the impossible position of having to choose sides, which might tear the organization apart.

Thailand's friends have a responsibility to dissuade the military from military adventures. It's also time they addressed the root cause of the problem. This conflict is a sign that the nation's internal political crisis is beginning to generate external costs, showing once again that Asean's credo of noninterference in domestic politics needs to be tempered with an awareness that promotion of democracy is part and parcel of regional stability.

As long as the military is allowed to play its pivotal role in national politics, Thailand will fail to play its rightful role as a stabilizing force in Southeast Asia.

Source: WSJ

Court slaps 2 Thais with spying charge

Immediate release not possible, says Hun Sen

• Published: 11/01/2011 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: News Bangkok Post

The seven Thai suspects arrested for trespassing into Cambodia have plunged deeper into trouble as two of them have been slapped with an additional charge of espionage.

Under the new charge, Veera Somkwamkid, a coordinator of the Thai Patriots Network, a splinter group of the yellow shirt People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), and Ratree Pipatanapaiboon, identified as Mr Veera's secretary, could face between five and 10 years in jail if found guilty.

The two were additionally charged with "collecting information which might damage Cambodia's national security", according to Phnom Penh Municipal Court officials.

The two are among the group of seven Thais arrested by Cambodian soldiers on Dec 29 last year, which included Democrat MP Panich Vikitsreth, when they entered a disputed area claimed by Cambodia near Nong Jan village in Sa Kaeo's Aranyaprathet district adjacent to Cambodia's Banteay Meanchey province.

The Cambodian court earlier charged them with illegal entry and trespassing on a military area.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen strongly reaffirmed yesterday his government's position to allow the Cambodian judicial process to take its course.

The Phnom Penh Post quoted Hun Sen as saying that the Thai parliamentarian and six other Thais arrested on trespassing charges will have to serve at least two-thirds of their jail sentences if convicted.

"Nobody, not even the United Nations or former Thai prime minister Thaksin [Shinawatra], could interfere in the Cambodian judicial process for an immediate release for them," Hun Sen said via the Bayon television station.

"We will talk about this further when the court has completed its procedure, but the law is the law, the court is the court, and the government cannot influence or order the court to do this or that for a political compromise."

If found guilty of the charges against them, the seven could file an appeal within 30 days.

Hun Sen said that on the night of Dec 29, Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya called him about 10 times but he did not answer the phone.

The Foreign Ministry yesterday submitted bail requests for the seven Thai detainees with the Phnom Penh Municipal Court.

Ministry spokesman Thani Thongphakdi said the court would make a decision on bail within five days.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday called an urgent meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon and Mr Kasit to discuss ways to help get the seven Thais released.

"We are looking at trends in the case. Our goal is to help them to be released and our sovereignty must not be violated," said Mr Abhisit.

Meanwhile, Chaiwat Sinsuwong, a leader of the Thai Patriots Network, said the Thai embassy in Cambodia had tried to bar the network's legal team from meeting the seven Thais. This could affect their court defence and consequently deprive them of an opportunity to return to Thailand.

He said the network had also petitioned the UN asking it to intervene.

"We will not accept the Cambodian court's ruling as the court procedures are not in line with the fourth Geneva Convention," he said.

Supreme Commander Songkitti Jaggabatara yesterday denied Cambodian media reports that Thai soldiers had shot at Cambodians along the border, saying the troops only fired in response to gangs who sneaked into Thailand to fell trees and then opened fire on the soldiers when discovered.

No bail for seven jailed in Phnom Penh

By The Nation, Agencies
Published on January 7, 2011

Drawn-out taking of testimony leaves lawyers no time to file requests; Panich claims unintentional crossing as Veera remains defiant over charges

Seven Thai nationals who faced trail in Cambodian court for trespassing were in critical situation yesterday as their prosecution would drag on with no time to submit bail request, resulting in longer stay in Prey Sar prison.

The seven Thais including the ruling Democrat Party's lawmaker Panich Vikitsreth and yellow shirted activist Veera Somkwamkid appeared in the Phnom Penh Municipal Court in blue prisoner dresses.

They testified in the closed door court room one by one, beginning with Panich who told the court that he crossed to the disputed border area by accident.

Panich told the court that he had "crossed into Cambodian territory unintentionally," his Cambodian attorney Ros Aun told AFP by telephone.

"He said he came (to the border area) because Thai people claimed it is their land. He said he was walking without knowing that he was entering Cambodian territory and was captured by the authorities."

Veera, who was previously arrested in the same location in August, told reporters briefly as leaving the court that "they are forcing us to accept the accusation."

Panich, Veera and other yellow shirted activists who claimed they are patriotic group were arrested last week in the border near Sa Kaeo's Ban Nong Chan while inspecting the disputed area. A leaked video clip indicated that Panich and the group were aware of entering into Cambodia side as he phoned to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's aide to convey his message.

The Royal Thai Survey Department indicated that the group went 55 meters deeper into the territory under sovereignty of Cambodia before the capture.

The Thai government failed to settle the case outside the court room since Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen reportedly was furious with Veera's second trespassing.

They were charge of illegal entry and unlawful entering to military areas, the charges with combined 18 month jail term.

The Thai foreign ministry said it would allow the Cambodian court to continue without intervention but urged Phnom Penh to speed up the process and hand them only lenient punishment.

The court spent the whole yesterday for the testimony of seven detainees and it set no time line when the entire trail would be completed.

Their lawyer had no time to submit bail request yesterday and would not until Monday as Friday is Cambodia's public holiday. The court has five days to consider the bail request, said Thai Foreign Ministry's spokesman Thani Thongpakdi. "We expect to know whether they would get free on bail by January 14," he said.

Prime Minister Abhisit called a meeting with many concern ministers and officials including Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, Justice Minister Pirapan Salirathavibhaga, Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya and Kasit's secretary Chavanond Intarakomalyasut to discuss the situation of the seven Thai people in Cambodian court.

Chavanond told reporters after the meeting that Prime Minister Abhisit did not have any more instruction but wrapped up the situation and expected the group would have to stay longer in the Cambodian prison.