PAD condemns Hun Sen for interfering in Thailand's internal affairs

The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), one of Thailand's active political groups, condemned on Friday Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen for interfering in Thailand's internal affairs and impugning Thailand's judicial system.

The PAD group held a press conference to express the group's attitude after the Cambodian government on Thursday evening announced to recall its ambassador to Thailand in a move to respond to the Thai government's earlier recall of its ambassador to Cambodia.

The diplomatic retaliation occurred after ousted former Thai Premier Thaksin Shinawatra was officially appointed as adviser of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and the Royal Government of Cambodia King Norodom Sihamoni.

Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Thursday that the appointment of Thaksin is the intervention on Thailand's internal affairs by Cambodia.

"We condemn Hun Sen, the Prime Minister of Cambodia, who has intervened Thailand's internal affairs and impugned Thailand's judicial system through appointing Thaksin," PAD coordinator Suriyasai Katasila said.

Hun Sen breaks international laws, hence the PAD group wants to urge the international community to condemn Hun Sen and to pressure Cambodia to extradite Thaksin to Thailand, said Suriyasai.

"We have supported the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is brave of expressing the diplomatic way to protect Thailand's dignity. And, we have demanded the Thai government to immediately use this opportunity to revise or correct any agreements, which make Thailand disadvantageous to Cambodia," Suriyasai said.

PAD key leaders including Maj-General Chamlong Srimuang, Pipob Thongchai, Somsak Kosaisuk, and Somkiat Pongpaiboon also took part at the press conference.

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.

Source: Xinhua