Thread: Cambodian Opposition Leader Denied Entry To Thailand

Cambodian Opposition Leader Denied Entry To Thailand
05 June 2013

Thai immigration police yesterday turned away Sam Rainsy, leader of the Cambodian opposition party, as he arrived in the country to attend his book launch event.

The Phnom Penh Post reported the incident, adding that there is no immediate explanation from the Thai and Cambodian authorities.

Mr. Rainsy was scheduled to appear at the Foreign Correspondent Club of Thailand in central Bangkok tonight for the introduction event of his new book "We Didn’t Start the Fire: My Struggle for Democracy in Cambodia".

It is understood that the book launch event is to go ahead as planned, and Mr. Rainsy will be speaking to the audience via video conference.

The incident raised speculation about friendly relationship between Mr. Hun Sen, the Cambodian PM, and Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra, the former PM of Thailand. The current Thai government, led by Mr. Thaksin′s sister Ms. Yingluck Shinawatra, is seen as being on friendly term with the Cambodian leader.

The relationship can be gleaned from the relatively calm situation between the 2 countries despite the ongoing dispute over a border temple; the issue flared up violently during government of PM Abhisit Vejjajeeva who was hostile to Mr. Thaksin, and only subsided when Ms. Yingluck came to power.

Thaksin-Hun Sen alliance is present in form of personal relationship, too. In May this year, the son of Mr. Thaksin′s eldest sister married daughter of Mr. Liang Nam, a Cambodian politician with close ties to Mr. Hun Sen. Neither Mr. Thaksin nor Mr. Hun Sen attended the wedding, which was held in Thailand, but the ceremony was hosted by Ms. Yingluck.

khaosod.co.th

Barred From Thailand, Sam Rainsy Speaks To FCCT Via Skype

(6 June) Cambodian opposition leader Sam Rainsy spoke to the audience at Foreign Correspondent Club of Thailand (FCCT), central Bangkok, via Skype last night after the Thai immigration officials denied him entry to Thailand.

Mr. Rainsy has been away from Cambodia since 2009 to escape what he described as "politically-motivated" court case. He has been an outspoken critic of the Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has been in power since 1985.

Initially, Mr. Rainsy was scheduled to chair a book launch event of his new work, "We Did Not Start The Fire: My Struggle for Democracy in Cambodia", at FCCT but was turned away at Thai airport by the immigration police, in an episode that might have resulted from the close ties between Mr. Hun Sen and Thai former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, whose sister Ms. Yingluck Shinawatra is currently in power.

Nonetheless, the show did go on, and Mr. Rainsy used Skype video call to speak to the crowded audience at the FCCT last night - a move that could have been derived straight out of Mr. Thaksin′s playbook (Mr. Thaksin, himself a politician living in exile, is well known for his regular phone-in or Skype-in to his supporters).

Speaking from Singapore, Mr. Rainsy began his talk by urging the international community to treat Cambodia′s upcoming election in July as "illegitimate" and refrain from recognizing any new government that is born out of it. Mr. Rainsy reasoned that the July election will be unfair and full of vote-rigging like previous ones.

He said the Cambodian authorities should delay the election and make sure it will be a free and fair one instead of "a farce on time". Mr. Rainsy also insisted that international monitors are not needed to observe the upcoming election in July because the outcome is already determined that sending monitors "to observe the farce" would be merely "waste of taxpayers′ money".

"The Cambodian authorities bully the opposition. They know we are getting more support. They are afraid of us, that is why they put pressure on us," Mr. Rainsy said, accusing the Cambodian authorities of "block the country′s democratic evolution".

Throughout the talk, Mr. Rainsy told the audience that Cambodia is "stuck in Cold War", a "Communist-style", "Banana Kingdom" ruled by "Mafia State".

Asked to elaborate on what happened to him at the Thai airport the day before, Mr. Rainsy said he was flying from South Korea to Thailand, only to be met with "high-ranking" immigration official who told him he could not be allowed out of the airport. However, Mr Rainsy said he was told he is welcomed back "after July".

Mr. Rainsy said Cambodian government might have pressured the Thai authorities to keep him as farther away as possible in the election period, because he was the only credible challenger to Mr. Hun Sen.

"Hun Sen wants to box alone. He′s afraid just to see me approaching the boxing ring," Mr. Rainsy said.

The host asked him whether he thinks the policy results from relationship between Mr. Thaksin and Mr. Hun Sen, but Mr. Rainsy said he did not know much about "Thai side".

A member of the audience asked him if he would ever go back to Cambodia. "Once they have free and fair election, I will be there," Mr. Rainsay answered.

Wouldn′t it be better to stay in Cambodia and fight for change from inside?

"King Narodom Sihanouk led the resistance for Cambodian independence from abroad too," Mr. Rainsy said, adding that even though he is physically away from Cambodia, he is virtually everywhere in Cambodia, like Facebook and Twitter, and that "I′m not the only one Rainsy. There are millions of Rainsy in Cambodia".

Answering the question about Mr. Hun Sen′s proposal to criminalize denial of Khmer Rouge genocide, Mr. Rainsay told the audience he accepts the principles of the law, but took jabs at Mr. Hun Sen by claiming that he would be punished under his own law because the Cambodian government has been denying justice by obstructing legal procedures against Khmer Rouge war crime suspects.

Asked if there′s anything he wants to address the public, Mr. Rainsy said that "the wind of freedom is blowing all over the world", and that it will surely arrive in Cambodia one day.

"Maybe it will reach Thailand first and go to Cambodia later!" he added, drawing laughter from the crowd.

khaosod.co.th

Have the Thai officials given any explanation on why he was not permitted to Thailand?
Until they do they must accept that they are ruled by the superior being!

Originally Posted by noelbino

Have the Thai officials given any explanation on why he was not permitted to Thailand?

Originally Posted by Mid

The Phnom Penh Post reported the incident, adding that there is no immediate explanation from the Thai and Cambodian authorities.

...............

BUT the convected felon Taksin is free to go to Cambodia!!

PM denies role in Thai Rainsy rebuff
Cheang Sokha
12 June 2013

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy in Myanmar in March. The self-exiled leader was denied entry into Thailand last week.
Photo by AFP

Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday denied he had pressured Thailand’s leaders – or any other government in the region – to refuse opposition leader Sam Rainsy entrance to their country.

Speaking at the opening and groundbreaking of roads and bridges in Pursat province, Hun Sen claimed that Rainsy had accused him of playing a part in the Cambodia National Rescue Party president being refused entry to Thailand last Tuesday.

“Maybe this convicted man places the highest value in me, because it would mean that I not only have the right to give orders in Cambodia, I also have the right to give orders in Thailand,” he said.

Hun Sen said it was an “insult” to a “sovereign government” that an outsider could make decisions on its behalf.

To the Post’s knowledge, however, the CNRP leader has not publicly made the claims Hun Sen was referring to.

Rainsy lives in self-imposed exile in France to avoid a lengthy prison term resulting from what some say were politically motivated charges.

He was travelling to Thailand to promote his new book, We Didn’t Start the Fire: My Struggle for Democracy in Cambodia.

“They told me that I would be welcome back after the election,” Rainsy said last week after immigration officials denied him entry. He declined to comment further.

Hun Sen said that after leaving Bangkok, Rainsy flew to Singapore, where he was not allowed out of his hotel.

Earlier, he had not been allowed to leave the airport in Kuala Lumpur to meet with Malaysia’s opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim, Hun Sen added.

“I think it is suitable [for me] to lead the country and unsuitable for you to because you cannot get into other countries,” the prime minister said. “[You are] so cheap to put blame on Hun Sen.”

Opposition lawmaker Mu Sochua declined to respond to Hun Sen’s speech.

phnompenhpost.com