Thai Government Vows To Help Thai Nationals Detained by Cambodia

Bangkok 05 January 2011 -- Royal Thai Government

The priority of the Royal Thai Government is to provide assistance to the detained Thai nationals. The Government is committed to helping these individuals return home and has coordinated with various agencies at all levels, including the Royal Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh, to render any assistance that may be needed for the Thai nationals. 
The Royal Thai Government's objectives are as follows:

• The Government continues to attempt to negotiate for the release of these individuals as is the normal practice adopted by both Thailand and Cambodia for border-related issues.
• As formal charges have been laid and the case will go to the Cambodian court, the Government, through the Royal Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh, has provided lawyers to assist the 7 Thai nationals. In doing so, Thailand seeks to maintain good neighbourly relations with Cambodia.
• Meanwhile, the Government dispatched officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defence to the area on 30 and 31 December 2010 to verify the facts related to the incident such as the location of the incident as well as other circumstantial evidence.
• On Tuesday 4 January 2011, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed the Thai Cabinet of the steps and measures it had taken on the matter, including attempts to negotiate the release of the 7 Thai nationals, provision of legal assistance, facilitation and coordination of the visit of relatives of the detainees, and dispatch of a fact finding mission to ascertain the location of the incident. The Cabinet agreed to render all necessary assistance to help the 7 Thai nationals.
• Regarding the questions on the telephone call made by MP Panich to his assistant which referred to the Prime Minister's involvement, the fact was that Prime Minister Abhisit did not order Mr. Panich Vikitsech to cross the border into Cambodia. In a press conference last Thursday, 30 December 2010, the PM acknowledged that he was aware of Mr. Panich's visit to the border area but was not informed of the specific location by Mr. Panich prior to his arrest.  The Prime Minister had previously instructed Mr. Panich, in his capacity as a Member of Parliament and Member of the ad hoc Parliamentary Committee to consider the three Agreed Minutes of the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) between Thailand and Cambodia, to listen to the grievances of various interest groups and  local Thai villagers who said they were unable to make use of their lands near the disputed border areas.

Timeline

• 29 December 2010 - The Government was informed of the incident and commenced the process to provide assistance to the seven Thai nationals who were arrested.
• 30 December 2010 - A press conference was held in the morning on the matter. FM Kasit was dispatched to meet with Mr. Hor Nam Hong, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Cambodia, in the afternoon. PM also called a special meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Suthep, Defense Minister, Foreign Minister, Secretary General of the National Security Council (NSC), and the Army's Commander-in-Chief.
• 30-31 December 2010 - Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defense were sent to the area to collect further information.
• 3 January 2011 - Relatives of the seven Thais who were arrested went to Cambodia to visit them.