Court says yes to red-shirt Cambodia trip
The Criminal Court yesterday allowed red-shirt leaders facing charges of terrorism and prohibited from leaving the country to travel to Cambodia.
The three red-shirt leaders said in their request submitted to the court they would join a group of Pheu Thai Party MPs led by Jatuporn Promphan, who is also a red-shirt leader, for the trip to Cambodia. The red-shirt politicians' group is part of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's entourage on her official introductory visit to Cambodia today.
The red shirts requested permission to travel to Cambodia from today to next Monday and from September 23 to 25.
A friendly football match is scheduled for September 24 in Phnom Penh between red-shirt politicians and members of the Cambodian government.
Natthawut said yesterday the red shirt-leaders had to travel to Cambodia before the friendly football match in order to take part in the preparation for the event. He said that due to increased interest, the event was going to be bigger than earlier planned.
"Our main duty involves public relations. If the people of both countries have a good mutual understanding, both Thailand and Cambodia will benefit," he said, adding that the idea of a friendly football match would also extend to other neighbouring countries in a bid to boost bilateral ties.
Late in the afternoon, Korkaew Pikulthong and Kwanchai Praipana - banned by the court from leaving the country during the trial against them - also got court permission to join the other red-shirt leaders on their travel to Cambodia.
Weng Tojirakarn, another red-shirt leader and Pheu Thai MP prohibited from leaving the country, would submit his request for court permission today, his lawyer Winyat Chartmontri said.
"The defendants are going to travel to Cambodia on an order from the government. They are going to cooperate for a friendly football match to improve ties between the two countries," the lawyer said. "They are also going to help Thai activists imprisoned in Cambodia," he said, referring to the yellow shirts' Veera Somkwamkid and Ratree Pipattanaopaiboon.
The lawyer said the red-shirt leaders had no schedule to meet with fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who is expected to travel to Cambodia later this month.
A high-ranking source in the Cambodian government said that Veera and Ratree, imprisoned for illegal entry and spying, were expected to be released during Yingluck's visit to Cambodia.
