Tea Banh denies troop entry

Tea Banh denies troop entry

No one slipped in to foment chaos, he says

Cambodia’s Defence Minister Tea Banh insists neither Cambodian armed men nor soldiers had entered Thailand to carry out violence in Thailand during the political crisis.

Officials from the Centre for Maintaining Peace and Order (CMPO) question executives of the Dusit Thani and InterContinental hotels for allegedly providing guest rooms to anti-government protest leaders. Thiti Wannamontha

Defence Ministry spokesman Phapathip Sawangsaeng yesterday said Gen Tea Banh made his remark during a meeting with caretaker Defence Minister Yuthasak Sasiprapa.

Gen Yuthasak attended the Singapore Airshow 2014 in Singapore yesterday. During the event, he met Gen Tea Banh, also Cambodia’s deputy prime minister and they discussed reports that Cambodian troops had allegedly been brought in to create chaos during the anti-government protest in Bangkok.

Gen Tea Banh was unnerved by the reports and maintained that Cambodia did not want to do anything that would affect relations between the two countries.

"Gen Tea Banh ordered a probe and found that no Cambodian soldiers were brought in to join rallies in Thailand as alleged. If any Cambodian soldier is found to be involved, he will receive the harshest punishment," said Col Phapathip quoting Gen Tea Banh as saying.

Police had inspected scenes of attacks at protest venues and set up road checkpoints to search suspected vehicles and people for weapons and illicit drugs.

Injured people affected by the attacks were also interrogated. However, the police investigators found no Cambodian soldiers involved in those attacks, said Col Phapathip.

It was evident that no Cambodian soldiers had been brought in to create chaos during the protests, said the ministry’s spokesman.

Meanwhile, executives of two Bangkok hotels have met the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) over allegations they sheltered anti-government protesters.

The Centre for Maintaining Peace and Order (CMPO) contacted executives of the Dusit Thani and InterContinental hotels to explain the matter.

Speaking after meeting DSI investigators, Dusit Thani hotel general manager Sukanya Chuchan insisted the hotel had not supported the anti-government People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) protests and the hotel’s list of guests showed no protest leaders checked in at the hotel.

Ms Sukanya explained the Dusit Thani hotel was willing to cooperate with authorities in its investigations.

Meanwhile, DSI chief Tarit Pengdith condemned PDRC leaders, particularly monk Luang Pu Buddha Issara, for ordering PDRC guards to detain and physically assault two police officers assigned to maintain peace and order at the rice farmers’ gathering venue on Chaeng Watthana Road.

The CMPO decided to postpone revealing publicly the names of 136 companies and individuals that have served as a pipeline for funding the PDRC’s activities, Mr Tarit said.

Holding back the release of those names and information is for the sake of justice for all concerned, he said.

The centre agreed to assign five agencies - the Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo), Royal Thai Police Office, DSI, Office of the Narcotics Control Board (Oncb) and the Revenue Department - to thoroughly examine the 136 names again before they could be completely revealed to the public.

The CMPO had earlier said it would today name the 136 alleged financiers of the PDRC.

The five agencies were examining the cases. The media could ask the Amlo secretary-general about the progress of the inquiry, Mr Tarit said.

Mr Tarit said more names might be added later, or even removed, depending on the results of the inquiry.

Of the 136 names to date, 58 would not be taken out because they were already suspects in special cases, he added.

CMPO director Chalerm Yubamrung also ordered CMPO staff to step up efforts to arrest PDRC core members who are wanted under arrest warrants.

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT