Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Sivarak's mum criticises Democrats

15/12/2009
Bangkok Post

Freed convicted spy Sivarak Chutipong's mother, Simarak na Nakhon Phanom, on Tuesday denounced Democrat Party spokesman Buranat Samutrak for saying the release of her son was staged and it could be done for the interest of certain group of people.

Mr Sivarak, a 31-year-old engineer for Cambodia Airport Traffic Services (CATS), was sentenced to seven years in jail and fined 10 million riels (about 80,000 baht) on Dec 8 after being arrested by Cambodian authorities on charges of leaking information concerning Thaksin's flight plan to the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh. He was granted a pardon by King Norodom Sihamoni last week.

"My son has suffered much already. Please don't hurt him more," Mrs Simarak said. "The person who thinks that this was staged, I believe, can also make up stories well."

The stressful mother also called on the media to stop referring to Sivarak's father who claimed to be close to fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra because he had passed away a long time ago.

"My son and I do not know Thaksin," she insisted.

She said she and her son forgave Kamrob Palawatwichai [ the diplomat who requested Thaksin's flight information from Mr Sivarak last month] even though he was the one who called her son and got him arrested in the end.

"I agree with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva that everything should end here, but I wonder how would Mr Kamrob feel if he's in prison for a day," she said.

She said she would like to thank ousted premier Thaksin for his assistance and Thai people for their support.

Government spokesman Panithan Wattanayakorn said Kamrob Palawatwichai,, had tried to contact Mr Sivarak after he arrived in Suvarnabhumi airport from Phnom Penh on Monday evening.

Mr Panithan said he did not know whether they had talked to each other yet.

"The reason Mr Kamrob has not come out to explain the spying case because his superior is concerned that Mr Kamrom does not speak well in public," the government spokesman said.

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