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Thai FM: Thai man arrested in Cambodia not a spy

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-11-13 22:34

BANGKOK: A Thai man, who was arrested in Cambodia, is not a spy, Thailand's Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said Friday.

Siwarak Chothipong, 31, worked as engineer at Cambodia Air Traffic Services Co Ltd, was arrested on Wednesday, according to the arrest warrant of prosecutor of Phnom Penh Municipality Court.

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The Khmer language newspaper Rasmei Kampuchea reported that he spied through copying the letters of flights of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in Cambodia and Prime Minister Hun Sen from CATS - Cambodia Air Traffic Services Co Ltd which has duties to control all flights in country...and he sent those reports to Thailand.

The Thai man was framed and Thai officials at the Thai Embassy in Cambodia have been instructed to help ensure that he will be properly treated with justice by Cambodia, Thai News Agency quoted Kasit as saying.

For the Thai officials, who have remained at the Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh, have been ensured of safety, Kasit said.

Totally, now there are seven Thai officials, who have still worked at the Thai Embassy in Cambodia, Kasit said.

Thailand and Cambodia have downgraded their diplomatic relations due to conflict over an appointment of ousted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra as an economic advisor to Cambodia's government on Nov. 4.

A day after the appointment of Thaksin, the Cambodian government announced recall of its ambassador to Thailand in a move to respond to the Thai government's recall of its ambassador to Cambodia.

And, on Thursday the Cambodian Foreign Ministry ordered Kamrob Palawatwichai, the first secretary of the Thai Embassy in Cambodia, to leave Cambodia within 48 hours, from 5 p.m., Cambodia's time.

After learning the Cambodian order, Bangkok responded by expelling a first secretary at the Cambodian Embassy in Bangkok ordering him to leave Thailand within 48 hours, from 5 pm, local time.

Thaksin was ousted by the military coup in September 2006, in accusation of corruption, and has been kept in exile since then.

He returned to Thailand in February 2008 to face corruption charges, but he later fled into exile again and was convicted in absentia.