Panich, Narumol allowed bail by P.Penh court [-The bail is a joke: $300 only?]

13/01/2011
Bangkok Post

Two of the seven Thais arrested by Cambodia for illegal entry - Democrat Party MP Panich Vikitsreth and Narumol Jitrawarattana - have been released on bail by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, Chavanond Intarakomalyasut said on Thursday.

A clip posted in YouTube, showing Democrat MP Panich Vikitsreth talking to his secretary on his cell phone on Dec 29, saying he is 'inside Cambodia'.

Mr Chavanond, secretary to Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, said the two were each released on 10,000 baht bail under three conditions - one of which is they are prohibited from leaving Cambodia. He did not reveal the two other conditions.

The two had been taken out of the Prey Sar prison to the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh, he said.

The five other Thais are still in prison - Veera Somkwamkid, a coordinator of the Thai Patriots Network (TPN), his secretary Ratree Pipatanapaiboon, Samdin Lertbut, Tainae Mungmachon and Kijpolthorn Chusanasevi, Mr Panich's aide and driver.

Members of the TPN under Chaiwat Sinsuwong began gathering in front of Government House in Bangkok before noon.

Mr Chaiwat vowed to mobilise more support from all over the country to join the rally to pressure the government to take swift action to help the seven Thais, who were arrested by Cambodian soldiers near the Sa Kaeo border on Dec 29.

He accused the government of being too slow to act and insincere in its efforts.

The government should resign if it was not able to take responsibility, he said.

Mr Chaiwat said core members of the Thai Patriots Network would meet at 4pm today to decide what further measures would be taken. The first might be to move network members to the border area in Sa Kaeo province.

In front of the Government House, members of the network have put up tents near gate No 4 on Phitsanulok road. They were taking turns speaking through loud speakers, attacking the government and calling for more people to join the protest. They were closely watched by riot police.

The rally closed two lanes of Phitsanulok road, causing a traffic jam.

Police said about 300 people from four border districts of Sa Kaeo gathered in front of the office of the Municipality of Aranyaprathet in opposition to the TPN's threat to move to Aranyaprathet and force the closure of the border checkpoint.

The people from Ta Phraya, Khok Sung, Aranyaprathet and Khlong Hat districts said the responsibility for helping the seven Thais arrested in Cambodia rests with the government and the Foreign Affairs Ministry, not the yellow-shirt TPN.

They said the safety of people living along the border would be at risk if a war broke out.

Pol Maj-Gen Theerayuth Thammasaroj, the Sa Kaeo police chief, ordered police in the four border districts to set up checkpoints and search vehicles entering the border area for weapons. A list of TPN core members and vehicle licence plate numbers was distributed to police at all checkpoints.

The Khlong Luek-Poi Pet checkpoint was open as usual this morning, but the number of Thai tourists heading for Angor Wat in Siem Reap was apparently fewer than usual.

The number of Thai gamblers heading for the nine casinos in Poi Pet also dropped, to below 900.