Sok Yoeun Extradition Case

Cambodian assassination suspect must go to third country: Thai PM
24 December 1999
Agence France-Presse

BANGKOK, Dec 24 (AFP) - Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai demanded Friday that a Cambodian opposition activist accused of attempting to assassinate Premier Hun Sen be sent to a third country, after being granted protection here by the United Nations refugee agency.

Chuan said the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) had not informed the government that it had recognised Sok Yoeun as "a person of concern," while it assesses his application for asylum.

"The UNHCR is responsible for taking care of persons of concern, but the host country must be informed," he told reporters at government house.

Cambodian dissident Sok Yoeun released from Thailand, heads to Finland.
26 February 2004
Agence France Presse

Cambodian dissident Sok Yoeun was released from jail Thursday after escaping extradition to his homeland and planned to depart for Finland where he would be reunited with his family, his lawyer said.

Cambodia last month agreed to end a demand that Thailand extradite Sok Yoeun - a member of Cambodia's main opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) - to face charges of trying to assassinate Prime Minister Hun Sen in 1998.

"Sok Yoeun was released from the Central Bangkok Prison of Klong Prem this morning and I saw him at the immigration office as he prepared his travelling documents," said lawyer Chairat Sangarun.

Chairat said Sok Yoeun, who was imprisoned for four years and three months in Thailand, will depart late Thursday for the Austrian capital of Vienna before taking another flight to Helsinki.

"He was so overwhelmed to be free and able to be reunited with his family. It's a happy ending to the story," Chairat added.

Sok Yoeun, in his 50s and in poor health, is accused by the Cambodian government of being behind a rocket attack on Hun Sen's motorcade which left one person dead in Siem Reap, close to Cambodia's famed Angkor Wat temple complex.

After the incident Sok Yoeun fled to Thailand, where he was arrested for illegal entry and sentenced to six months in jail, which he served before being taken back into custody pending a decision on his extradition.

A November 2003 decision to extradite him sparked condemnation from international rights groups who noted he had been granted political refugee status by the United Nations.

Thailand is not a signatory to the 1951 Geneva refugee convention, but does not allow extraditions to take place in the case of political crimes. The debate over Sok Yoeun's future hinged on this issue.

Amnesty International has welcomed the moves by Cambodia and Thailand to free Sok Yoeun, saying last month it was "delighted" that he would be permitted to resettle in Finland.

Sok Yoeun, a member of Sam Rainsy's opposition party, has been accused of taking part in a rocket attack on a convoy in which Hun Sen was travelling in September.

Rainsy has denied the allegation, branding it politically motivated.

Military sources here said the activist fled to Thailand in November after he was named in connection with the case.

Chuan said Thailand would review UNHCR procedures to ensure they did not violate its national sovereignty and demanded Sok Yoeun be sent to a third country.

"It's not yet classified as violating our sovereignty, it may be UNHCR procedure, but ... we have a right to know who the organisation is taking care of," Chuan said.

"He is allowed to stay temporarily but he must go to a third country," he added.

Hun Sen on Wednesday demanded the return of Sok Yoeun, claiming he had evidence he took part in the rocket attack, threatening to take the matter to the UN in New York if the refugee agency did not cooperate.

"Whoever protects Sok Yoeun is providing channels for international terrorism," he said.

After numerous media inquiries about Sok Yoeun, the UNHCR office in Bangkok Thursday said it had "recognised the individual as a person of concern," while it assesses his application for asylum.

The statement did not mention Sok Yeoun by name, but said all UNHCR actions were "strictly humanitarian" and "non-political."

PM ready to extradite alleged assassin
24 December 1999
The Nation (Thailand)

PRIME MINISTER Chuan Leekpai yesterday said that Thailand is on ready to cooperate with Cambodia in extraditing Sok Yoeun, who is wanted in Cambodia for attempting to assassinate Cambodian premier Hun Sen.

"If requested, Thailand is ready to cooperate with Cambodia in extraditing Sok Yoeun to Cambodia. But it has to be in accordance with the laws and rules governing our land," he said.

The Thai Parliament has yet to ratify an extradition treaty it signed with Cambodia and as such the treaty cannot be administered yet. Cambodia's parliament has already ratified the treaty.

In the meantime, Thailand's 1929 Extradition Act is still in effect and excludes political cases.

Pressured to clear the air of confusion, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) regional office in Bangkok issued a statement confirming that Sok Yoeun was under its protection as "person of concerns". This entitles him to seek political asylum in a third country.

"A decision taken by the UNHCR with regard to an individual is strictly a humanitarian act," said the statement.

According to a copy of Sok Yoeun's certificate issued by the UNHCR on Nov 16 and made available to the press, Sok Yoeun has been granted a UN status of "refugee" under which he is given international protection by the commissioner.

"Any assistance provided to him during his stay in Thailand would be appreciated," the statement read.

When approached on the issue yesterday, government spokesman Akapol Sorasuchart denied the involvement of politicians within the government implicated for protecting Sok Youen.

The whereabouts of Sok Yoeun came into the limelight after opposition leader, Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh presented during the last day of its no-confidence motion debate in Parliament last week, a telephone conversation tape recording which was said to be between Cambodia's opposition leader, Sam Rainsy and Sok Youen.

The conversation centred on Sok Yoeun's attempt to seek asylum here in Thailand. Chavalit said during the parliamentary censure debate that the Cambodian fugitive is in the Thai soil.

Chavalit's exposure caught the authorities including the army off guard, prompting them to flatly deny that Sok Yoeun was in the country. But Supreme Commander Gen Mongkol Ampornpisit told reporters on Wednesay that the fugitive is here.

Thailand's tethering response to the issue resurged yesterday when the Army's Directorate of Intelligence claimed that the Cambodian fugitive had bolted from Thailand.

Maj Gen Permsak Puangsaroj, the DI's director, said that he did not know the current whereabouts of Sok Yoeun.

"Our latest intelligence reports have indicated that Sok Yoeun has fled Thailand to somewhere else," Permsak said.

But Pol Lt Gen Yothin Matthayomnand from the Special Branch said that the police have been monitoring talk that Sok Yoen was still in the country over the past month and insist that no one could confirm his whereabouts.

In a separate interview, Chuan confirmed that Sok Youen has not asked for asylum in Thailand.

"The case of Sok Yoeun has not affected Thai-Cambodia relationship. Importantly the problem (of Sok Yoeun) is an internal affair of Cambodia ... we are just neighbours," Chuan said.

Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan said that if Sok Youen were arrested, he would be dealt with under immigration laws.

"After that, if there is any further development, we will deal with it according with Thai and international laws," Surin said. "Sok Yoeun has already passed a UN interview and issued a UN identity card but the UNHCR has not informed us about these."

So far the Cambodian government nor its premier, he said have yet to raise Sok Yoeun's matter with him.

Hun Sen was quoted on Wednesday by the media as saying he wanted Thailand to help arrest and extradite the Cambodian fugitive.

"At present Sok Yoeun is under UN protection. He has yet to ask for the protection from the Thai authorities. We will not know of such matter if the UN does not inform us," Surin told reporters.

With a veiled criticism of Gen Chavalit, Surin said that "the people under UN protection would be safe if there are no news leak about them".

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a military intelligence officer who monitors the Thai-Cambodia border, said Sok Yoeun and a group of supporters fled into Thailand in September, immediately after a Cambodian military court issued a warrant for his arrest.

He said that the fiasco in Parliament during the censure debate was meant to discredit Surin and the Democrat Party for "trying to take foreign policy matters out of the hand of some military generals".

"If Sok Yoeun is the terrorist that Hun Sen said he is, no one, not even the UNHCR, will be dealing with him," the officer added.

Sok Yoeun admits murder bid.
26 December 1999
The Nation (Thailand)

A CAMBODIAN fugitive accused of trying to assassinate Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has confessed to his crime in a videotaped statement aired on Thai TV5 yesterday.

In the videotaped statement, Sok Yoeun said he had been advanced US$10,000 with the promise of US$400,000 more by four Cambodian generals to kill Hun Sen last year.

According to him, the RPG rocket-launcher that he was using to carry out the assassination misfired, killing a bystander and injuring three others on Sept 24 last year.

Sok Yoeun did not name the four generals who had hired him to carry out the task. He claimed to have fled to Thailand on Sept 28, a year after the rocket attack.

According to TV5, the footage was taken at an unknown location in Cambodia. TV5 did not explain how it had obtained the footage.

Hun Sen has called on Thailand and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to extradite Sok Yoeun, a member of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party. He has also threatened to raise the matter with the UN secretary-general.

Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai and Interior Minister Sanan Kachornprasart earlier yesterday told reporters that Sok Yoeun was being detained by Thai authorities and was likely to face charges of illegal entry.

However, his extradition remains uncertain as he is under the care of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, they said.

The UNHCR has granted Sok Yoeun refugee status, thus allowing him to seek political asylum and resettlement to a third country.

Sanan said Sok Yoeun was being held by the Armed Forces Security Centre of the Supreme Command and the police.

According to a military source, extraditing Sok Yoeun to Cambodia is very unlikely because he is considered a political refugee by the UN agency. The plan now is for him to be resettled to a third country as soon as possible, he said.

According to Don Pramudwinai, the chief spokesman at the Foreign Ministry, the Cambodian government has made no formal request for extradition.

Don declined to comment if Sok Yoeun's refugee status would prevent him from being extradited to Cambodia.

It would be premature to talk about extradition at this stage. What we have in front of us right now is the issue of illegal entry, Don said.

The UNHCR said in a statement that the decision to grant Sok Yoeun refugee status was strictly a humanitarian act.

Don said the UNHCR has yet to inform the Thai government of its decision to grant Sok Yoeun refugee status.

The nature of the issue is complicated, involving illegal entry and the involvement of the UN refugee agency, said Don, who cautioned the media not to jump to any conclusions in their handling of the story.

According to senior Thai military-intelligence officers, Sok Yoeun entered the country through his personal connections with the Thai authorities in September, shortly after the Cambodian military court issued an arrest warrant for him.

The issue of Sok Yoeun's whereabouts surfaced last week during the censure debate when opposition party chief Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh accused the Chuan government of jeopardising Thai-Cambodian relations by permitting a terrorist to enter and reside in Thailand.

A number of Thai army officers accused Chavalit of politicising the matter for personal gain in spite of it being well understood by all parties the government, the opposition and the Phnom Penh government that Sok Yoeun's case was political in nature, not a criminal one, as claimed by Hun Sen.

In recent decades a number of Cambodian political and military leaders, including Prince Norodom Ranariddh and Gen Nhek Bunchhay, have fled the country to live in Thailand as they wait for political settlements.

Chuan said he had ordered Khachadpai Burusapatana, the National Security Council chief, to look into the case and would not comment on the extradition issue.

Chuan said earlier that it was the UNHCR's standard operating procedure to give protection to individuals.

Cambodian opposition leader Sam Rainsy has maintained that accusations made against Sok Yoeun have been trumped up to intimidate the opposition.

The Thai Parliament has yet to ratify an extradition treaty signed with Cambodia. The Cambodian assembly has ratified it.

Arrest leaves Thailand in political bind.
27 December 1999
South China Morning Post

The arrest in Thailand of a fugitive Cambodian opposition activist threatens to cause a rift in bilateral relations as Thai authorities consider whether to extradite a man accused of attempting to assassinate Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Sok Yoeun, of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, has been sheltering in Thailand under the protection of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees since October, when he fled to Bangkok claiming the charges against him were trumped up and politically motivated.

Thai police arrested Sok Yoeun on Friday in a raid on the Sam Rainsy Party's Bangkok office. He has been charged with illegal entry into the country.

Mr Hun Sen demanded that Sok Yoeun be immediately sent back to face a Cambodian court for his alleged involvement in a dramatic rocket attack on an official motorcade last year.

"Anyone who protects Sok Yoeun, those people are terrorist masterminds or part of the international terrorism network," the Cambodian premier said.

He vowed to lodge a complaint with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan over the UNHCR's granting of protection to Sok Yoeun.

Thai military television yesterday aired a tape of Sok Yoeun confessing to organising the rocket attack on orders from four unnamed Cambodian generals.

However, Sok Yoeun had earlier released a statement through his party saying he had been coerced into making a false confession by Cambodian agents in Bangkok.

The case has caused some embarrassment for the Thai Government, which was caught off guard last week with the news that a wanted criminal was sheltering in Bangkok.

Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai said the UNHCR did not inform his Government that it was sheltering a Cambodian fugitive.

It was unclear yesterday whether his UNHCR status would protect Sok Yoeun from extradition to Cambodia.

Thai officials have not received a formal extradition request, but Phnom Penh's foreign minister was believed to be preparing the paperwork.

Thailand and Cambodia signed an extradition agreement last year, but it has yet to be ratified. Mr Chuan said on Friday he would prefer Sok Yoeun be sent to a third country.

That would probably enrage Mr Hun Sen, who has previously accused Thailand of providing shelter for years to the Khmer Rouge guerillas on the countries' common border, prolonging Cambodia's long and recently ended civil war. The Thai Government has always denied assisting the Khmer Rouge.

Sok Yoeun is accused of planning the September 1998 rocket attack on a motorcade carrying dozens of members of the newly elected National Assembly to a swearing-in ceremony at the historic Angkor Wat. The rocket missed the motorcade and killed a bystander.

Mr Hun Sen immediately labelled the attack an attempt to assassinate him.

A year later, two opposition members were charged over the attack and a warrant was issued for Sok Yoeun.

The UN human rights office in Phnom Penh has expressed concern at the arrests, saying evidence is flimsy and one suspect was actually in jail on a separate charge at the time of the attack.

The Sam Rainsy Party says all three suspects are innocent and even says the rocket attack may have been orchestrated by the ruling party.

"Hun Sen staged an `assassination attempt' against himself ... then accused his opponents of being `terrorists' and criminals in order to `legally' eliminate them with his parody of a tribunal," party founder Sam Rainsy said from Paris

YEARENDER / THAI-CAMBODIAN RELATIONS
28 December 1999
Bangkok Post

There is a growing willingness to put the ills of the past behind us, but ingrained mistrust cannot be overcome overnight. Co-operation is beginning on less political issues, while success on such things as border demarcation will take time.

Achara Ashayagachat

Thailand's relations with Cambodia are expected to continue to improve despite the current hiccups caused by the arrest here of a fugitive sought by Phnom Penh police.

Foreign ministers Surin Pitsuwan and Hor Nam Hong are committed to holding a fifth joint committee meeting, after a pause of nearly three years, during the last week of January, when at least two accords - on aviation co-operation and on bringing an end to the cross-border trade in stolen cars and artefacts - are scheduled to be signed.

The meeting was to have taken place initially in the northern Cambodian province of Siem Reap, which once was contested by the two states, during the last week of December. But it had to be rescheduled when there were no rooms available in the city because of the new year celebrations taking place at the 13th century Angkor Wat temple complex which is housed in the province.

Thailand suggested a mid-January meeting but Hun Sen, the Cambodian prime minister, would have been unavailable to receive Mr Surin in the ancient city because he would be busy entertaining Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi, who is due on an official visit, according to foreign ministry staff.

Although Thai officials say the joint committee meeting will go ahead despite the arrest of the fugitive Sok Yoeun, many expect that this will have an affect on the mood of the talks.

Hun Sen has called for the extradition of Sok Yoeun and the Thai government is unsure whether to meet this request or ask for a third country to take him in, say intelligence and foreign ministry officials.

Sok Yoeun is a member of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party. He is accused of planning a September 1998 rocket attack on a motorcade carrying dozens of members of the National Assembly to a swearing-in ceremony at the historic Angkor Wat ruins.

He fled to Thailand and was in hiding under the protection of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees until his presence here was revealed by opposition leader Chavalit Yongchaiyudh during the recent no-confidence debate in parliament in an effort to embarrass the Chuan government.

"It is part of a domestic political squabble," an intelligence source said. "Sok Yoeun is in fact just an activist and is not the man Hun Sen most wanted. But the news of his whereabouts prompted the Cambodian leader to exercise his authority."

Thai authorities are now investigating and considering how best to deal with the fugitive.

"His immediate wrongdoing (here) is illegal entry and the way out is to send him back or to find a third country if there is one," the source said.

Although Thailand and Cambodia signed an extradition treaty in May 1998, it does not come into force until it is announced in the Thai Royal Gazette. The 1929 Extradition Act in effect excludes political cases, sources said.

"Whether Sok Yoeun is to be sent to Phnom Penh or not, Hun Sen will likely understand the role we are playing here," said one.

Up until recently, relations between Thailand and Cambodia have been strained over allegations by Phnom Penh that Thai authorities were giving sanctuary to the Khmer Rouge guerrilla leadership.

The collapse of the rebel movement last year, followed by greater political stability in Cambodia and the country's admission, in April this year, to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, have helped improve ties between the two countries, the sources said.

"Phnom Penh finally understood why Thailand had earlier held that Cambodia should not be rushed into the regional grouping while there was not political and economic stability at home," said one.

The first meeting of the joint boundary commission, which was chaired by the deputy foreign ministers from June 30 to July 2 this year in Bangkok, showed a readiness by the two states to deal with sensitive matters - although no agreement was reached on the terms of reference for resuming talks on demarcating the border.

Thai-Cambodian relations have since diversified. In September, there was a meeting of public health officials along the border, followed by a gathering of provincial governors in early November in Pattaya opened by Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sanan Kachornprasart.

An official visit by Foreign MInister Hor Nam Hong on Nov 18-19 marked an important turn for the better in relations between the two countries. The two vowed to combat the trafficking of centuries-old antiquities, to resolve long-running frontier disputes and to boost co-operation on law enforcement along the jungle border, sources said.

Hor Nam Hong received a letter confirming Thailand's willingness to return 122 artefacts stolen from Cambodia's ancient temples to Phnom Penh. Phnom Penh will be responsible for the packing and return of the artefacts.

The two sides are also thinking of setting up a joint operations centre in Battambang in Cambodia to clear landmines from border areas.

On the transport front, a number of projects promise more tourism and security benefits. These include a feasibility study for a Bangkok-Aranyaprathet-Poi Pet-Phnom Penh rail link, more flights between the two countries, and roadworks.

Border demarcation however remains the biggest hurdle as a working group has yet to meet to discuss which maps, treaties and historical documents should be used and how the landmines should be cleared, sources said.

"We have different positions," said one. "Thailand wants to fix the borderline once and for all, while Cambodia prefers to find the missing 73 border-markers laid after the Siam-Franco Treaty a century ago."

Half the border-markers are missing or have been misplaced, and there have been questionable interpretations of the related maps. Thailand has invited Cambodian officials to come here to study modern and universal mapping techniques and to see how Thailand and its other neighbours like Malaysia solve border conflicts, the sources said.

"Our neighbours are usually afraid of being exploited or being taken advantage of, so we have to be patient. Their attitude is more and more positive," one source said.

Sok Yoeun becomes tool in the Thai political game.
6 January 2000
The Nation (Thailand)

Cambodian suspect Sok Yoeun has become a political pawn not only between Cambodia and Thailand but a tool for ambitious Thai politicians who are playing a game to topple this government, writes The Nation's Marisa Chimprabha.

Cambodia is finding itself in a win-win situation after a self-proclaimed professional intelligence Thai politician, Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, revealed in Parliament that a wanted Cambodian suspect, Sok Yoeun was on Thai soil. But with Sok Yoeun's presence and Chavalit's open secrets, Thailand is again caught in a dilemma and is at the losing end as a result of the country's own internal political rifts and ambitions. Bilateral relations with Cambodia is on the line pending the decision on Sok Yoeun by a Thai court.

The ball is now in Thailand's court to decide what to do with Sok Yoeun - whether to extradite him to face criminal charges in Cambodia or to allow him to seek asylum in a third country.

No matter what the decision, it would surely be criticised. If he is extradited, Cambodia would surely praise Thailand as a good neighbour. But it would be criticised by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees which put Sok Yoeun under its protection.

If Sok Yoeun is allowed to go to a third country, Cambodia would surely put Thailand on the list of insincere neighbours. So Thailand is in a lose-lose situation and this has all been caused by a politically ambitious general-turned politician who wants to bring down the government by all The fact is that not only the Thai but the Cambodian government also were caught off guard when Sok Yoeun, who is alleged to have been involved in a failed attempt to assassinate Cambodian premier Hun Sen, was on Thai territory.

Without Gen Chavalit's pompous revelation about the fugitive's whereabouts, both governments would never have learned of the fact. He presented a tape recording of a conversation believed to be that of Cambodian opposition leader Sam Rainsy and Sok Yoeun himself. He claimed that the fugitive's mysterious mission to sneak into Thailand could possibly be linked to Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan. When Surin challenged him on how he had obtained the tape, Chavalit revealed more of his 20-year professional experience in the intelligence community about Sok Yoeun's whereabouts.

While the Chuan Leekpai government laughed and expressed disbelief in Chavalit's statement, Hun Sen seized the opportunity to call for the Thai government to extradite Sok Yoeun, to face criminal charges.

Earlier, the Hun Sen government never mentioned Sok Yoeun, who allegedly committed the crime in 1998, to the Thai government. Even when Hun Sen played golf with top Thai generals in Chiang Mai province in December, he did not talk bring up the subject.

The question now is whether Phnom Penh really wanted Sok Yoeun because if it had wanted him to be prosecuted for his alleged involvement in an assassination attempt in 1998, Cambodia would have hunted him down much earlier.

A long-time security source dealing with Cambodia described Sok Yoeun as a no-name politician who has no power in Cambodian politics. The source said, "The Phnom Penh government did not really want him because if it really did, it would have done something earlier."

A major reason Phnom Penh wanted Sok Yoeun to be extradited is because his expected confession could link Sam Rainsy to the attempted assassination in 1998, the source said. Sok Yoeun is a senior member of the self-named Sam Rainsy Party, which has been often alleged by Hun Sen of masterminding unrest and crimes to topple the Phnom Penh government.

Sok Yoeun has already confessed in a video-tape mysteriously aired during a news report on the military-run Channel 5. The confession could be linked to Sam Rainsy because he is a senior member of the Sam Rainsy Party. "Hun Sen would try by all means to get Sok Yoeun back so that he could discredit Sam Rainsy, who is his long-time rival," the source said.

Another reason Sok Yoeun is wanted is because Phnom Penh wants to know who the four Cambodian generals were who Sok Yoeun claimed had allegedly paid him a total of US410,000 if Hun Sen was killed. In the confession, which Sok Yoeun reversed later, he said that he was paid by the four generals to kill Hun Sen in a rocket attack.

"Hun Sen is well aware that he has enemies on the inside who are not satisfied with his absolute control over the country. He wants to know who they are," the source said.

The source compared the case of Sok Yoeun to a Cambodian general, Sin Song, who escaped to Thailand after a coup d'etat he orchestrated in 1994 failed. He was arrested in Bangkok after fleeing by boat from Cambodia's Sihanoukville to Pattaya. The general was finally allowed to seek asylum in a third country as his offence was considered a political one.

"Sin Song's case is different from Sok Yoeun's. Phnom Penh did not want Sin Song back although it made a call for Sin Song to be extradited," the source said. Phnom Penh made a few calls for Sin Song to be extradited. Sin Song was not wanted because he was a powerful general who at that time had power over the army and police. He still has several supporters in the government forces.

"Although the coup d'etat failed, to have him back in the field is dangerous to the Phnom Penh government. So when his offence was considered a political one and he was allowed to seek asylum in a third country, Phnom Penh made no complaints," the source said. The general is now living happily in Cambodia after being granted asylum for his offence by Cambodia's King Norodom Sihanouk.

A Thai court in December had found Sok Yoeun guilty of illegally entering the Kingdom and sentenced him to six months in jail. Next, a court would consider whether to agree with a Cambodian request to extradite him or not.

In the past, Thailand extradited a Bangladeshi major, Bazlul Huda, to face a series of criminal charges for killing the country's ex-president and 14 others of his family. Huda had sneaked into Thailand and lived happily for many years after being apprehended for shoplifting. Huda was extradited although he defended his case as a political one.

Under the 1929 Extradition Act, which would be used in Sok Yoeun's case, a political prisoner would be subject to extradition. It seemed that he could be sent back as an article in the act stated that the offence of trying or killing a country's leader would not be considered a political one. Huda was extradited on those grounds.

Considering the process, the UNHCR seemed to find no room to help Sok Yoeun who enjoyed the UNHCR's person-of-concern status before being arrested in December last year. The UNHCR recently issued a statement, saying the status has no legal binding on states and the granting of asylum remains within the sovereignty of a particular state.

Sam Rainsy is now trying to ask Amnesty International to intervene to help his man.

Anyway Sok Yoeun's case could possibly take time. The case could take more time as the fugitive could appeal to the court if it rules in favour of the Cambodian request.

The more the case is delayed, Phnom Penh will surely take the opportunity to repeat its former accusations that Bangkok loves to shelter its opponents. In the past, it usually accused the Thai government of supporting the now-defunct Khmer Rouge guerrillas.

It is up to the Thai court to decide on Sok Yoeun's future. But one terrible fact is that neighbouring countries have again learned of domestic political rifts and wounds that are the result of political ambitions. It is a sure thing that those neighbours and others will take advantages of the rifts if they have the opportunity to in the future.

Commentary by Veera Prateepchaikul.
647 words
25 January 2000
Bangkok Post

Is Jiew's long trek coming to an end?

Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, the New Aspiration Party leader, is shamelessly asking for a second chance to prove his worth as government leader.

At a public rally last Friday in Udon Thani's Nong Wua So district, the former prime minister told his Isan audience that they would be much better off than they are today if he is installed the prime minister after the next election.

"You folks will be richer. You'll have money to buy a new television set to replace the one you smashed up while watching Maj-Gen Sanan (Kachornprasart, the interior minister)," the general told the crowd as he whipped up emotions with his fiery rhetoric.

He also fingered the Democrats as the real cause of the economic crisis which gripped the country almost three years ago.

Judging from the cheers punctuated by occasional applause, Gen Chavalit can feel comfortable that his plea for another chance at the premiership has found a receptive ear. He can rest assured that he can rely on their support at the polling booth - unless, of course, they are promised something better by a rival party.

Poh Jiew, as he is affectionately known in the Northeast, is undoubtedly a popular figure among the people of Isan, especially those farmers who have become increasingly disillusioned with the Democrat-led government and its failure to respond to their demands. But elsewhere around the country, particularly in Bangkok, and especially among the emerging middle class, he is still viewed with a large degree of apprehension. For them, it was the unforgiveable blunder by the Chavalit administration, starting with the failed defence of the baht, which led to the economic meltdown and its contagion effect throughout the region. Two years later, the horrors experienced are still fresh in the memory.

Ask any Bangkokian about Gen Chavalit's return to take the helm of the country and the chances are he will shake his head in despair. And their concern is understandable given the NAP leader's conduct in the censure debate last month.

During the debate, Gen Chavalit accused the government of providing shelter to Sok Yoeun, a Cambodian fugitive wanted by Phnom Penh on suspicions he was involved in an assassination attempt on Prime Minister Hun Sen in 1998. His disclosure of Sok Yoeun's presence in Thailand caught Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai and Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan, the two main targets of his verbal assault, completely off-guard. As expected, Phnom Penh demanded the fugitive's extradition, putting the government in a difficult position as it was later discovered that Sok Yoeun had been classified by the UNHCR as "a person of concern".

A subsequent government investigation, however, uncovered a different story. Sok Yoeun was spirited into the country with the help of another Cambodian, identified as Suwan Puthi - among many aliases - and a close associate of Adul Boonset, an aide to Gen Chavalit. A photograph leaked to the press showed the general with Mr Suwan, leaving the NAP leader speechless and looking like a total fool.

The controversy he had stirred to discredit the government had blown up in his face. Gen Chavalit's credibility was further eroded and there even have been questions whether he is sound enough mentally to head the opposition, let alone captain the ship of state.

The cheers and applause of the Isan people in Nong Wua So district last Friday might give Chavalit a momentary morale boost. But what he really needs now to ensure his political future is the support of his party, something which is fast dwindling.

The party caucus in Pattaya today will determine if he still has a chance to make a comeback? Or if Gen Chavalit's political career is now finished.

Veera Prateepchaikul is Assistant Editor, News, Bangkok Post.


Court releases pair accused of attempt on Cambodian PM's life
6 March 2000
Agence France-Presse
AFPR

PHNOM PENH, March 6 (AFP) - Cambodia's military court on Monday said it had released two opposition activists accused of attempting to assassinate Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Mong Davuth and Korng Bunheang, members of outspoken opposition leader Sam Rainsy's party, were released in accordance with Cambodian law which allows for suspects to be held for only six months pending trial, military court chief Ney Thol told AFP.

"According to legal procedure, today we have decided to release the suspects temporarily, but we will still continue the investigation," Ney Thol said.

The two men were arrested seperately at the beginning of September last year and charged with involvement in a September 24, 1998 rocket- propelled grenade attack on the a motorcade said to be carrying Hun Sen.

The rocket attack occurred just hours before the swearing in of Cambodia's new parliament in the northern town of Siem Reap following elections that year.

A third suspect, Sok Yoeun, fled to Thailand following the incident and was arrested in December last year on charges of illegal entry, after which Hun Sen publically demanded his extradition.

The mens' lawyer and Sam Rainsy Party officials Monday were jubilant at the announcement Mong Davuth and Korng Bunheang would be released, saying it was proof they were innocent.

However, they could not confirm whether the release had taken place.

"The court has decided to release my clients today. After the investigation, my clients have been found not guilty," lawyer Puth Theavy told AFP.

Sam Rainsy Party Secretary-General Eng Chhay Eang said the decision by the court was welcome, but called on the government to tighten rules regarding the evidence required to arrest suspects here.

"The Sam Rainsy Party welcome the court's decision. But we are sorry that these two men were charged in the first place without enough evidence. This has caused us great difficulty," he said.

"The government must formulate strict measures for accusers, because our two activists are the real victims."

Apparently set off by remote control, just one out of three wired rockets fired during the 1998 incident as the ministerial convoy passed by, leaving one young civilian bystander dead and three others injured.

Theories on the attack ranged from Hun Sen blaming Sam Rainsy, while the opposition maintained the attack was staged to pressure it to enter a coalition with the Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party after a deadlocked election result.


Thailand, Cambodia move to settle century-old border dispute
13 June 2000
Agence France-Presse
AFPR
PHNOM PENH, June 13 (AFP) - Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai will arrive here Wednesday for a three-day visit, the highlight of which will be inking an agreement to settle border disputes which date back to French colonial rule in Cambodia.

Chuan and his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen are also scheduled to sign an agreement on the return of artifacts pilfered from Cambodia's fabled northern temples, a Cambodian foreign ministry statement said.

Issues of transnational crime -- including drugs trafficking and smuggling stolen vehicles -- will also be high on the agenda, according to Thai officials.

"The main point of the visit is cooperation on drug suppression, transnational crimes and the agreement on border demarcation," Thai government spokesman Akapol Sorasuchart toldby telephone.

He said a memorandum of understanding would see both sides survey the 800 kilometer (500 mile) jungle border based on the Franco- Siamese demarcation of 1904 and 1907 and outline their respective claims.

It also sees the two southeast Asian neighbours pledge to solve any future border disputes "through direct consultation and negotiation in the spirit of friendship and good neighbourliness."

The Cambodian government has come under increasing pressure to define its frontiers with fellow Association of Southeast Asian Nations members Thailand, Laos and Vietnam, amid regular protests in the capital over alleged land-grabbing and encroachment by Cambodia's neighbours.

Phnom Penh is already engaged in border settlement talks with former Soviet-bloc allies Vietnam and Laos.

The agreements on solving border disputes and the return of stolen artifacts are to be signed on Thursday afternoon before Chuan and his entourage fly north to tour the 9th-12th century Ankor Wat temples.

Thai authorities in April returned over 100 antique statues looted from Angkor, bringing about an end to months of wrangles.

Most of the looted artifacts date back 1,000 years to the era when the ancient Khmers ruled much of Southeast Asia.

Bangkok has become a hub for the illegal antiquities trade.

Chuan may also discuss Cambodia's request to extradite a Cambodian opposition party activist accused of attempting to kill Hun Sen.

Sam Rainsy Party activist Sok Yoeun was in January jailed by a Thai court for illegally entering the kingdom after fleeing Cambodia. He is due to be released from prison on June 26.

Vocal Hun Sen critic Sam Rainsy and human rights groups fear he will face torture and a politicised show trial if Thailand honours Cambodia's extradition request.

Chuan will be granted royal audience with King Norodom Sihanouk and meet FUNCINPEC leader and parliamentary speaker Prince Norodom Ranariddh and parliament president Chea Sim.

He will be accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Supachai Panichpakdi, who will take over the reigns of the World Trade Organisation in 2002, as well as Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan, his deputy Sukhumbhand Paribatra and Deputy Transport Minister Pradit Pataraprasit.

Cambodia has asked Supachai to help groom Phnom Penh for entry into the WTO.

Chuan and his delegation will return to Bangkok on Friday from the northern town of Siem Reap.

ANALYSIS / THAI-CAMBODIAN RELATIONS...
14 June 2000
Bangkok Post

ANALYSIS / THAI-CAMBODIAN RELATIONS

Mending border fences

The plan to foster ties along the common border with Cambodia is a key component of the agenda for Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai, who commences histhree-day visit to Phnom Penh today.

The desire to improve relations along the Thai-Cambodian border is reflected in two agreements to be signed by Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan and Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Nam Hong.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sukhumbhand Paribatra and Var Kim Hong, the adviser to the Cambodian government who is also in charge of state border affairs, will sign a memorandum of understanding on the survey and demarcation of land boundaries. All this will be witnessed today by Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai and his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen.

The agenda also include agreements on preventing the smuggling of artifacts and vehicles. These two agreements are seen as a trade-off because artifacts normally are smuggled into Thailand from Cambodia, while Thailand has a problem of vehicles being stolen for sale in Cambodia.

The two countries have also agreed in principle to end their ambiguous borderline and wipe out criminal and drug operations in border areas, while Mr Chuan will renew Thailand's intention to jointly develop the overlapping area in the Gulf of Thailand.

The success will depend not only on close co-operation between officials in Bangkok and Phnom Penh, but also serious and sincere collaboration between officials authorising border areas. Relations between the two governments have been improving since Cambodia became a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations last year. But Watcharin Yongsiri, a Cambodian analyst at the Institute of Asian Studies, acknowledged that more efforts were needed to boost ties at the border.

A conflict between Thai authorities in Sa Kaew over a casino construction by a Cambodian developer in Poi Pet, is a reflection of the statement made by the analyst. Almost two months after the Cambodian prime minister ordered his adviser Jom Kammar to halt land-filling for the construction - which threatens to alter the course of a border canal or result in flooding on the Thai side - the problem remains. This delay has made Thai officials so frustrated that they have asked Mr Chuan to discuss the matter directly with Mr Hun Sen.

Thailand has opposed the landfill because Klong Leuk canal divides the two countries at that juncture and any change could alter the water channel and consequently affect the borderline. The Royal Irrigation Department is worried that border areas in Sa Kaew's Aranyaprathet district opposite Poi Pet would be inundated due to the landfill on the Cambodian side.

The problem has prompted Mr Chuan to urge Thai gamblers not to cross the border to gamble at the Cambodian casino and his call was recently echoed by the National Security Council, which plans to tighten regulations to discourage Thais from visiting the place.

In his talks with Mr Hun Sen, Mr Chuan should also raise Thai concerns over Cambodia's policy of allowing gambling places to be opened along the border with Thailand, said Ms Watcharin, because they could trigger social and criminal problems for Thailand.

"Criminal and social problems seem more worrisome than security issues between the two countries," she said.

Besides the border co-operation, the two countries have room to improve investment and trade. Thai investment in Cambodia has dwindled due to the economic crisis in Thailand, Ms Watcharin said.

M R Sukhumbhand has pointed to the lack of necessary infrastructure, safety problems and unclear rules in Cambodia as a cause for the decline in trade and investment.

Bilateral trade decreased from US$412.1 million in 1996 to $326.3 million in 1998. Thai exports to Cambodia during the same period were down from $364.4 million to $301.9 million, partly due to a decrease in main export items such as vehicles and spare parts, batteries and fishing nets.

"Cambodia has the most potential for Thai investors compared with other neighbouring countries due to its abundant natural resources," a government source said, adding that the premier would meet Thai businessmen tomorrow before leaving the Cambodian capital for Siem Reap. M R Sukhumbhand has voiced concern that illegal trade such as logging and gem mining could rise because Thai traders may take advantage of stability in Cambodia to conduct their underground businesses. The problem could adversely affect bilateral relations if it is not addressed soon, the deputy minister said recently.

In talks with Mr Hun Sen, the prime minister may also raise the matter of the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh. There were protests earlier this month from some Cambodians whose houses were demolished because they obstructed an access used by diplomats.

During his visit, Mr Chuan will preside over the opening of a skilled labour development centre built with 110-million-baht aid from Thailand. He will also be granted an audience with King Norodom Sihanouk, and meet Norodom Ranariddh, the president of the National Assembly; and Chea Sim, chairman of the Senate. Mr Chuan will wrap up his visit with a trip to the ancient temple of Bantey Srei in Siem Reap.

Thailand is not expected to offer fresh aid to Cambodia during this visit, but the prime minister will pledge to play an active role in seeking aid for Cambodia from third parties, said a government source who will accompany Mr Chuan.

Mr Hun Sen may also raise the case of Cambodian opposition politician Sok Yoeun who is currently in a Thai jail on charges of illegal entry. Mr Sok Yoeun's jail term ends this month and Mr Hun Sen may seek his repatriation as he is wanted by the Cambodian government on charges of having attempted to assassinate Mr Hun Sen.

The two countries do not have an extradition treaty

Thai court opens extradition hearing on Hun Sen assassination attempt
332 words
26 July 2000
Agence France-Presse

BANGKOK, July 26 (AFP) - A Thai court Wednesday began extradition hearings on a Cambodian fugitive accused of abetting an assasination attempt on Prime Minister Hun Sen, Thai court officials said.

Court deliberations on whether to extradite Sok Yoeun, member of the vocal opposition Sam Rainsy Party, who stands of accused of collaborating to kill Hun Sen in September 1998 by firing anti-tank rockets at the prime minister's motorcade, the officials said.

Witnesses in the Thai Immigration Bureau, Interpol and the Thai foreign ministry on the attempt in the northern town of Siem Reap were questioned, court officials said.

After the 1998 rocket incident, Sok Youen fled to Thailand, where he was arrested for illegally entering the country and sentenced to six months in jail.

He finished his Thai sentence on Sunday but is still being held in a Bangkok jail because Cambodia filed an extradition request for Youen to be re-tried in Cambodia.

In Cambodia he would face up to 15 years in jail if convicted,

During the alleged assassination attempt, three of the rockets failed to ignite and a fourth missed the motorcade but hit a village house, killing a child and severely injuring another three people.

Both Sok Youen and Sam Rainsy, now opposition leader in Cambodia's parliament and a bitter critic of Hun Sen, have denied involvement in the alleged assassination.

Cambodian authorities have insisted the charges against Sok Youen were not politically motivated.

"The offence is not related to politics. It is a penal offence which has the characteristics of terrorism aiming at assassinating Prime Minister Hun Sen," judge Nou Chantha said in a letter.

Because Thailand does not have a formal extradition treaty with Cambodia, a court would have to rule that the charges against Sok Youen are criminal, and not political, before he can be sent back to Cambodia

The court has set the next hearing for September 4.

Neighbours keep Thaksin under scrutiny.
21 February 2001
The Nation (Thailand)

The countries closest to Thailand are watching the new administration's every move as many bilateral issues have yet to be resolved. Marisa Chimprabha reports.

Many countries, particularly Thailand's neighbours Laos and Cambodia, are keeping a close watch on the Thai-Burma military flare-up on the northern border.

Their focus has been piqued by the fact that Thailand is in a transition period with the Thaksin administration having just taken power, which means new economic and foreign policies as well as a new Cabinet. The first thing they want to assess is the new government's diplomatic approach.

Defence Minister General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh and Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai have declared that Thailand will launch a new era in bilateral relations with its neighbours, with emphasis on "personal diplomacy".

However, personal diplomacy was used in many conflicts in the past - even when Chavalit was premier - when the national interest was at stake, and it could hardly be described as an unqualified success. Instead, critics point out, it merely created more avenues for corruption.

Chavalit says he is very close to many of the Burmese generals and has vowed to use his personal contacts to solve the border problems.

The latest violent outbreak in the long-standing Thai-Burma border conflict, which has resulted in the indefinite closure of a popular checkpoint in Chiang Rai province, has once again highlighted the antipathy between the two armies over the issue of ethnic Burmese rebels. During their decades-long fight for independence, the rebels have often acted as a buffer between Thailand and Burma.

The latest incursion by Burmese troops onto Thai soil early this month came about after the Army refused to allow them territorial access so they could launch a rear attack on the Shan State Army. The Burmese argued that the Thai army had allowed Shan rebels to take refuge in Thai-based camps along the border.

But as a senior intelligence source countered, the rebels were allowed onto Thai soil because they entered without weapons. He said they had probably hid their weapons on the Burmese side of the border before entering the camps. Conversely, the Burmese troops wanted to pass through Thai territory while fully armed, which could not be permitted.

As the new administration moves to handle this latest border crisis, Vientiane will be watching carefully for signs of how it will approach the issue of Lao minority groups in Thailand, a bone of contention between the two countries.

The main point of Laos's mistrust of Thailand concerns what Vientiane calls "the bad elements", or ethnic Hmong sheltering in Thailand. The communist authorities blame them for series of bomb explosions in the country in recent times, and have raised an accusing finger to Thailand for not being serious about dealing with various groups of Hmong, many of whom appeared here mysteriously and have precarious official status.

The presence of thousands of Hmong at Wat Thamkrabok in Saraburi province has long soured bilateral relations and diplomatic contacts. Lao authorities believe the Hmong are using the monastery as a strategic base from which to launch attacks on its territory. They refuse to believe Bangkok's claim that foreign forces would not be allowed to attack other countries from its side of the border.

That disbelief was underlined when an armed group attacked a customs office in Champasak province in July last year. The attack, which was violently repelled by Lao troops, drove 28 assailants into Ubon Ratchathani province. Despite repeated demands for them to face trial in Laos, Thailand says they must appear in a Thai court first. That was eight months ago, and Thailand has refused to relent on its position.

The fatal assault on the customs office paralysed a Thai-Lao checkpoint in Ubon Ratchathani for weeks. Vientiane was so certain the assailants were getting support in Thailand that it publicly declared the group's weapons were bought here.

Taking the opportunity of a new government in Thailand, Vientiane repeated its demand for the group's extradition shortly before and after Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra took office. It is hoping Thaksin will act more favourably towards the demand.

Phnom Penh is also hoping for a different tack from Thailand under the new administration. There are no ethnic rebel problems to deal with, however, since the Khmer Rouge who occupied most parts of the border no longer exist.

What remains in terms of bilateral problems is re-demarcation of the border that has not yet started as neither side can agree on maps and other technical matters.

Phnom Penh is known to prefer "fast track" negotiations to finish the re-demarcation of the land and sea border as soon as possible, mainly because foreign oil exploration companies have expressed interest in surveying in Cambodian waters.

Thailand, though, prefers to negotiate according to theories and books. Therefore, the demarcation negotiations through a ministerial-level joint boundary committee is proceeding at a slow pace.

Another problem affecting relations is the Cambodian fugitive, Sok Yoeun, wanted for an attempted assassination of Cambodian premier Hun Sen, who is in Thai custody.

When Sok Yoeun was arrested in 1999, Phnom Penh submitted an extradition request. But Thailand insisted that a Thai court would have a final say about his future.

Cambodia, therefore, regards this issue as a litmus test of bilateral relations, even as the international community supports Sok Yoeun's denial of the charges. The ball is now on Thailand's side of the net in that a Thai court will have to rule in favour of one side or the other.

Another country keeping a close watch on Thailand's new diplomatic approach is China, which recently has been putting pressure on the government to suppress the Falungong movement. China banned the movement in 1997 after calling it an "evil cult".

Thailand, under the Chuan administration, has made no effort to take a stance against the movement and its activities, saying the practitioners here had shown no sign of getting involved in politics.

The group is scheduled to hold an international meeting in April this year, either in Bangkok or Phuket. The Chuan government gave the go-ahead for the meeting which has met with protests from many in the Thai-Chinese community.

The big question is whether the new government of Thaksin Shinawatra - which has announced a priority policy of boosting international and regional trade rather than human rights issues - will bow to China's wishes or allow the Falungong meeting to go ahead.

Cambodia-Thai extradtion treaty raises hopes in Phnom Penh
1 March 2001
Agence France-Presse

PHNOM PENH, March 1 (AFP) - Cambodia and Thailand ratified an extradition treaty Thursday in a move which Phnom Penh hopes will lead to Bangkok handing over a man accused of an assassination attempt on Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said the treaty, which will come into effect in 30 days, would make it possible for Thailand to extradite Sok Yoeun who is currently being held in a Thai jail.

"This treaty will come into force within 30 days after the signing of this exchange of ratification protocols. So it depends on the Thai court to decide on the issue," he said, adding that Phnom Penh saw Sok Yoeun as a terrorist.

"It is up to Thailand to decide ... I hope that Thailand will extradite Sok Yoeun," he added.

The ratification protocols were exchanged by Hor Nomhong and Thailand's ambassador Asiphol Chabchairchaidol.

"This treaty will help our judges, since now we have a treaty which is going to be implimented within 30 days. It will help with any ruling on the (Sok Yoeun) case," Asiphol said.

Sok Yoeun, a member of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party in Cambodia, stands accused of collaborating to kill Hun Sen in September 1998 by firing anti-tank rockets at the prime minister's motorcade.

After the 1998 rocket incident, he fled to Thailand, where he was arrested for illegally entering the country and sentenced to six months in jail.

He finished his Thai sentence but is still being held in a Bangkok jail because Cambodia has filed an extradition request.

The Thai courts are currently considering the request.

During the alleged assassination attempt, three of the rockets failed to ignite and a fourth missed the motorcade but hit a village house, killing a child and severely injuring three other people.

Both Sok Yoeun and Sam Rainsy, who is the opposition leader in Cambodia's parliament and a bitter critic of Hun Sen, have denied involvement in the alleged assassination.

Cambodian authorities have insisted the charges against Sok Yoeun were not politically motivated. He has been listed as a person of concern by the United Nation's human rights office in Bangkok.

Four Cambodian activists get asylum in the Netherlands
22 March 2001
Agence France-Presse

PHNOM PENH, March 22 (AFP) - Four Cambodian opposition Sam Rainsy Party activists and eight of their family members exiled in Thailand have been given political asylum in the Netherlands, UN and party officials said Thursday.

The 12, who were granted refugee status by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), flew out of Bangkok's international airport an hour before midnight on Wednesday to begin new lives.

"They were here (in Thailand) and were given refugee status by the UNHCR and they have been resettled in Holland," a UNHCR spokesperson toldby telephone from Bangkok.

"They are people accused of various things by authorities in Cambodia, and some of them are members of the opposition (Sam Rainsy Party)."

Sam Rainsy Party MP Yim Sovann said four of the 12 given asylum were members of the party, some of whom fled to Thailand following 1997 factional fighting, while the rest were family members.

"I just came back from seeing the 12 off. They left Bangkok at 11pm last night on a flight bound for Austria, from where they will go to Holland," he toldin Phnom Penh.

He said the four party members included Sar Sophorn, 25, who was jailed earlier in Thailand for assisting another activist, and illegal immigrant, Sok Yoeun who fled to Thailand after being accused by Cambodian authorities of attempting to assassinate Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Sok Yoeun fled to Thailand in December 1998 after he was blamed for involvement in a rocket attack on a official motorcade heading for the opening of parliament following elections that year.

Yim Sovann said the others were a former member of the Sam Rainsy party steering committee and four family members who fled in 1997 amid bloody factional fighting in which saw then second prime minietr Hun Sen oust his co-premier, first prime minister Prince Norodom Ranariddh.

Also on the flight from Bangkok was a party activist from Kandal province, which surrounds the capital Phnom Penh, and four family members. The final member of the 12 was an a party information officer, he said.

In the 1998 elections the Sam Rainsy Party came in third with 15 seats in the 122 seat parliament and complained bitterly of poll fraud and intimidation.

Thai Prison Doctor: Cambodian Exile Has Tuberculosis
12 April 2001
Dow Jones International News

BANGKOK (AP)--A Cambodian exile facing possible extradition from Thailand for an alleged assassination attempt on the Cambodian prime minister is suffering tuberculosis, a Thai prison doctor said Thursday.

But Dr. Jon Lervitwaraphong, chief of Bangkok's Klongprem prison general hospital, said the exile, Sok Yoeun, had a medical checkup on Tuesday. He denied an Amnesty International report that Sok Yoeun's condition is deteriorating.

"The result of the X-ray shows that he has tuberculosis but it is at the stage that can be handled by the medical team at the special Bangkok detention center," Jon told The Associated Press. He added that Sok Yoeun had contracted the disease before his arrest more than one year ago.

Sok Yoeun is in custody at a detention center next to Klongprem prison. He is receiving proper medical treatment there, is free to use the telephone and be visited by relatives, Jon said. He is at least 63 years old, according to prison records.

Amnesty issued an "urgent appeal" Wednesday on behalf of Sok Yoeun, saying he had been fainting, vomiting and suffering from dizzy spells in recent weeks.

The London-based human rights group described him as a "prisoner of conscience" and said he could face persecution and an unfair trial if he is sent back to Cambodia.

Sok Yoeun fled to Thailand two years ago after he was accused of participating in a September 1998 rocket attack on the motorcade of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. Hun Sen went unharmed but a bystander was killed.

Sok Yoeun is a member of the Cambodia's opposition Sam Rainsy Party, a long-time nemesis of Hun Sen's regime. He denies allegations that he took part in the attack and claims he was forced to videotape a false confession.

He was granted temporary refugee status in Thailand by the office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, then arrested in December 1999 for illegal entry after Phnom Penh asked for his return. He was re-arrested after serving a six-month jail term and is currently the subject of prolonged extradition hearings in a Thai court.

Amnesty said Sok Yoeun's relatives have asked the prison for a medical report on his condition and have requested that he be allowed access to independent medical care, but received no positive response to either request.

Jon said it was the right of anyone in custody to have a medical report on their condition, but Sok Yoeun hadn't requested it.

Court releases pair accused of attempt on Cambodian PM's life
6 March 2000
Agence France-Presse

PHNOM PENH, March 6 (AFP) - Cambodia's military court on Monday said it had released two opposition activists accused of attempting to assassinate Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Mong Davuth and Korng Bunheang, members of outspoken opposition leader Sam Rainsy's party, were released in accordance with Cambodian law which allows for suspects to be held for only six months pending trial, military court chief Ney Thol told AFP.

"According to legal procedure, today we have decided to release the suspects temporarily, but we will still continue the investigation," Ney Thol said.

The two men were arrested seperately at the beginning of September last year and charged with involvement in a September 24, 1998 rocket- propelled grenade attack on the a motorcade said to be carrying Hun Sen.

The rocket attack occurred just hours before the swearing in of Cambodia's new parliament in the northern town of Siem Reap following elections that year.

A third suspect, Sok Yoeun, fled to Thailand following the incident and was arrested in December last year on charges of illegal entry, after which Hun Sen publically demanded his extradition.

The mens' lawyer and Sam Rainsy Party officials Monday were jubilant at the announcement Mong Davuth and Korng Bunheang would be released, saying it was proof they were innocent.

However, they could not confirm whether the release had taken place.

"The court has decided to release my clients today. After the investigation, my clients have been found not guilty," lawyer Puth Theavy told AFP.

Sam Rainsy Party Secretary-General Eng Chhay Eang said the decision by the court was welcome, but called on the government to tighten rules regarding the evidence required to arrest suspects here.

"The Sam Rainsy Party welcome the court's decision. But we are sorry that these two men were charged in the first place without enough evidence. This has caused us great difficulty," he said.

"The government must formulate strict measures for accusers, because our two activists are the real victims."

Apparently set off by remote control, just one out of three wired rockets fired during the 1998 incident as the ministerial convoy passed by, leaving one young civilian bystander dead and three others injured.

Theories on the attack ranged from Hun Sen blaming Sam Rainsy, while the opposition maintained the attack was staged to pressure it to enter a coalition with the Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party after a deadlocked election result.


Accused Hun Sen assasins given asylum in Sweden: sources
23 August 2000
Agence France-Presse

PHNOM PENH, Aug 23 (AFP) - Two opposition activists accused of attempting to assassinate Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen have been given political asylum in Sweden, sources close to the men told AFP.

Mong Davuth and Korng Bunheang, members of outspoken opposition leader Sam Rainsy's party, fled to Bangkok in April from where they travelled on to Sweden with the help of the UN's refugee agency, said the sources on condition of anonymity.

"They left Bangkok on August 21 for Sweden after they were granted asylum there. They are now under the protection of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)," one source close to the process said.

The UNHCR and Swedish embassy in Thailand declined to make an official comment on any individual cases.

"We occasionally take refugees," second secretary Henrik Nilsson of the Swedish embassy in Bangkok toldby telephone.

"Our policy when it comes to individual cases is that Sweden is a receiving country for refugees from various countries around the world and it (the program) is administered by the UNHCR."

The two men were arrested seperately at the beginning of September last year and charged with involvement in a September 24, 1998 rocket- propelled grenade attack on a motorcade said to be carrying Hun Sen.

They were released from detention by Phnom Penh's military court in March in accordance with Cambodian law, which allows for suspects to be held for only six months pending trial.

Court chief Ney Thol said his investigation into the pair was ongoing and they may be summoned back at any time.

Apparently set off by remote control, just one out of three wired rockets fired, leaving one young bystander dead and three injured.

Theories on the attack ranged from Hun Sen blaming Sam Rainsy, to the opposition maintaining the attack was staged to pressure it to enter a coalition with Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party after a deadlocked election result.

A third activist, Sok Yoeun, also sought by the authorities here in connection with the incident, fled to Thailand last year where he was jailed for illegal entry. Cambodia has requested his extradition.

Thai court orders extradition of Cambodian opposition politician
Associated Press Writer
28 November 2002

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - A Thai court on Thursday ordered the extradition of a fugitive Cambodian opposition politician accused of plotting to assassinate Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen in a grenade attack four years ago.

Sok Yoeun, 57, a prominent member of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, claims the charges are politically motivated and that he will be executed if returned to Cambodia. Amnesty International has described him as a "prisoner of conscience" and said he could face persecution and an unfair trial if he is sent back.

A panel of judges at the Criminal Court said in a statement that the court's decision to extradite Sok Yoeun was based on its determination that the offense was "a common crime" rather than a political act.

Sok Yoeun has been accused of taking part in a rocket propelled grenade attack on a motorcade carrying Hun Sen and newly-elected legislators in 1998. The grenade went over the motorcade and killed a 12-year-old bystander.

Witness accounts raised some doubt as to whether Hun Sen was actually targeted in the attack in the northwestern town of Siem Reap.

"The Court considers the case not a political crime, but a common crime," a member of the panel said.

He said the ruling was based on an extradition treaty between Thailand and Cambodia, although the treaty has not yet been ratified.

The judges also played down Sok Yoeun's concerns over personal safety and Cambodia's justice system, saying its constitution "is up to the international standard" and that he could seek help from a lawyer and advocacy groups.

Cambodian courts are widely believed to be corrupt and open to political influence.

Sok Yoeun fled to Thailand in September in 1999 and was granted temporary refugee status by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. He was arrested later that year for illegal entry after Phnom Penh filed a request for his extradition.

After serving six months in jail, Sok Yoeun was detained again pending an extradition hearing despite an offer by Finland to give him political asylum if Thailand blocked the extradition.

Wearing a brown prison uniform as he left the courtroom, Sok Yoeun pledged to file an appeal.

Defense lawyer Chairat Saeng-aroon said the ruling came as no surprise and that "political influence is involved here because Hun Sen is still prime minister."

"Still, I'm confident we still have a chance to win because there is evidence that the court didn't mention at all," Chairat told reporters.

Sok Yoeun remains in Thai custody and has 15 days to appeal.

SOK YOEUN EXTRADITION - Surakiart slams bid to sway His Majesty.
16 January 2004
Bangkok Post
BKPOST

Court ruling remains under review, he says

Achara Ashayagachat

Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai has publicly admonished Cambodian opposition politician Sok Yoeun for petitioning His Majesty the King in a bid to avoid extradition.

The Appeals Court ruled in November that Sok Yoeun, a key member of the Sam Rainsy Party, would be repatriated to face charges of attempting to murder Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen in 1998. He petitioned the King last month, pleading to be reunited with his family, currently residing in Finland.

Mr Surakiart said yesterday Sok Yoeun should not have petitioned His Majesty because his case was "irrelevant".

The government was still considering whether the case should be given special consideration, he said.

The extradition ruling sparked condemnation from several international rights groups as Sok Yoeun had been granted political refugee status by the United Nations. Thailand was not a signatory to the 1951 Geneva Refugee Convention.

The verdict required the repatriation take place within three months, or the suspect be freed.

Sok Yoeun was charged with involvement in a rocket attack on Hun Sen's motorcade, which left one dead, near Angkor Wat in Siem Reap.

He later fled across the border and was arrested by local authorities in December 1999. After serving a six-month sentence for illegal entry, he was taken back into custody pending a decision on his extradition.

Hun Sen said earlier this month he would not oppose a royal pardon by Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk if Sok Yoeun was repatriated and tried.

Sok Yoeun was widely considered a potential tool for Hun Sen to force Sam Rainsy to cooperate with his Cambodia People's Party, which won a general election in June, but failed to gain the two-thirds majority required to enjoy sole political control.

SOK YOEUN: Extradition demand dropped
17 January 2004
The Nation (Thailand)

Cambodian move will see dissident sent to Finland

Cambodia has agreed to drop a demand that Thailand extradite political dissident Sok Yoeun to face charges of trying to assassinate Prime Minister Hun Sen in 1998, King Norodom Sihanouk said yesterday.

Sok Yoeun, a member of Cambodia's main opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP), who is wanted for his alleged involvement in an attack on Hun Sen's motorcade in 1998, is expected to travel to Finland to join his family, the monarch wrote in a letter.

'I have received a letter from the head of the government [Hun Sen] requesting me to urge his Thai counterpart to deport Sok Yoeun to Finland to meet his family and receive medical treatment for his illness,' King Sihanouk said in his letter to Hun Sen.

'I thank you very much and agree with your kind proposal that allows Sok Yoeun to get amnesty,' the king wrote.

Hun Sen's advisor Om Yentieng confirmed the agreement and said the premier made his decision late on Thursday during his family's audience with Sihanouk.

'Last night, Prime Minister Hun Sen told the king that Sok Yoeun would be sent to Finland directly from Thailand,' Om Yentieng said.

Sok Yoeun, in his 50s and ill, is accused by the Cambodian government of being behind a 1998 rocket attack on Hun Sen's motorcade at Siem Reap, close to Cambodia's famed Angkor Wat temple complex. The attack left one person dead.

He fled to Thailand and was arrested in 1999. The trial on Cambodia's extradition request then started and continued until last November when an Appeal Court ruled in favour of the request.

Sok Yoeun is under the care of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, which facilitated his family's fight for asylum in Finland.

Cambodian dissident Sok Yoeun released from Thailand, heads to Finland.
26 February 2004
Agence France Presse

Cambodian dissident Sok Yoeun was released from jail Thursday after escaping extradition to his homeland and planned to depart for Finland where he would be reunited with his family, his lawyer said.

Cambodia last month agreed to end a demand that Thailand extradite Sok Yoeun - a member of Cambodia's main opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) - to face charges of trying to assassinate Prime Minister Hun Sen in 1998.

"Sok Yoeun was released from the Central Bangkok Prison of Klong Prem this morning and I saw him at the immigration office as he prepared his travelling documents," said lawyer Chairat Sangarun.

Chairat said Sok Yoeun, who was imprisoned for four years and three months in Thailand, will depart late Thursday for the Austrian capital of Vienna before taking another flight to Helsinki.

"He was so overwhelmed to be free and able to be reunited with his family. It's a happy ending to the story," Chairat added.

Sok Yoeun, in his 50s and in poor health, is accused by the Cambodian government of being behind a rocket attack on Hun Sen's motorcade which left one person dead in Siem Reap, close to Cambodia's famed Angkor Wat temple complex.

After the incident Sok Yoeun fled to Thailand, where he was arrested for illegal entry and sentenced to six months in jail, which he served before being taken back into custody pending a decision on his extradition.

A November 2003 decision to extradite him sparked condemnation from international rights groups who noted he had been granted political refugee status by the United Nations.

Thailand is not a signatory to the 1951 Geneva refugee convention, but does not allow extraditions to take place in the case of political crimes. The debate over Sok Yoeun's future hinged on this issue.

Amnesty International has welcomed the moves by Cambodia and Thailand to free Sok Yoeun, saying last month it was "delighted" that he would be permitted to resettle in Finland.