13-12-2009
The Nation (Thailand)
Has the tension eased between Thailand and Cambodia? Yes. Is the diplomatic row between the neighbouring countries nearer to a solution? Probably not. Cambodia's royal pardon, granted to the convicted Thai "spy" so swiftly after a Phnom Penh court sentenced him to seven years in prison, seemed as politically motivated as the man's arrest itself, and it has left both countries' volatile relationship as unpredictable as ever.
The pardon was given by the person least visible and audible in the diplomatic uproar. King Norodom Sihamoni has been a distant watcher at best, as Bangkok and Phnom Penh brought their stormy ties to near breaking point with one controversial retribution after another. Yet it took him less than 24 hours to decide that a man found guilty of endangering Cambodia's national security can immediately walk free. We don't know how the pardon-seeking process works in Cambodia, but in most other countries it should involve committees, opinions from people who matter and a lot of consultations.
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