November 29, 2011
The Nation
Cambodia has granted permission for a Thai doctor to visit activist Veera Somkhamkid in Pray Sar prison on the outskirts of Phnom Penh in order to treat the detainee for a chronic illness, Foreign Minister Surapong Towichuk-chaikul said yesterday.
The visit is expected to take place next week. Veera and Ratree Pipattanapai-boon have been held since last December, a Cambodian court having convicted them of espionage after they inspected disputed border areas near Ban Nongchan in Sa Kaeo.
Veera was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment, while Ratree was jailed for six years for the same charge.
The two yellow-shirt activists moved against Cambodia in the context of their campaign against Thaksin Shinawatra, accusing the neighbouring country of seizing Thai territory in collaboration with the former prime minister.
Veera’s mother, Wilaiwan Somkhamkid, who visits him almost every week, recently found her son to be in serious condition and badly needing medical attention from a Thai doctor who regularly treated him prior to his arrest.
As a result, the Cambodian interior ministry granted permission to the Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh to bring the doctor into the country to see Veera, Surapong told reporters.
However, the request for Veera and Ratree to receive either an amnesty or a royal pardon from the Cambodian king has not yet made any progress, the minister said.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen promised Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra when she visited in September that he would seek a reduction of their jail terms, as Cambodian law does not allow a royal pardon to be granted until two-thirds of a jail term is served.
Surapong said he would consult with Cambodian authorities on the matter when he has an opportunity to meet his counterpart again soon.
Relations with Cambodia have improved since the Yingluck government took office, but the dispute over the boundary area near Preah Vihear temple has not yet been resolved.
The two countries have an obligation to withdraw their troops from the International Court of Justice- determined demilitarised zone near the temple.
Surapong said Thailand would comply with the ICJ’s injunction, but needed time to consult with many agencies, including the military.
The Foreign Ministry will discuss the details of the troop withdrawal with Defence Minister Yuthasak Sasiprapha, he added.
The government recently submitted the issue for parliamentary consideration in accordance with Article 176 of the Constitution.
However, many legal experts and senators pointed out that the government needed to seek approval from Parliament in accordance with Article 190 before complying with the ICJ injunction.
Under Article 190, the government needs Parliament’s approval before making any treaty with a foreign country or international organisation that changes Thai sovereignty over territory.
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