6/01/2011
Bangkok Post
Democrat MP Panich Vikitsreth and six other Thais will now be tried in a Cambodian court after the Thai government officially admitted that they had illegally crossed into Cambodian territory last week.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Thani Thongpakdee said the ministry had ascertained that Mr Panich and his group unknowingly trespassed into Cambodian territory while investigating Thai villagers' complaints about land ownership.
However, the real issue here is not whether the seven Thais illegally crossed into Cambodian territory. The real problem is Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has been exploiting this issue to portray Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva as weak. He wants the world to see that Cambodia is stronger than Thailand.
In fact, a large number of Cambodians have been working illegally in Thailand for a long time, while a number of Thai politicians accused of terrorism have fled to Cambodia. How can Phnom Penh explain the case of these Thai political fugitives in view of the arrest of Mr Panich and his companions?
There seems to be no logical explanation for Hun Sen's tough stance against the seven Thais, even though we believe all of them will be granted a royal pardon, as in the case of a Thai technician accused of stealing confidential airport documents related to the flight schedule of ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra's visit to Phnom Penh over a year ago.
The case of the seven Thais is all about Hun Sen's arrogance and intention to enhance his leadership by weakening Thailand's image in the eyes of the world.
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