Sivarak's Drama Paradoxically Ends in Style

15 December 2009
Thai-ASEAN News Network

It sure was a beautiful ending for the political drama starring Sivarak Chutipong, as fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra flew in from Dubai to congratulate the Thai engineer on his release. What an unusual scene indeed!

The convicted ex-premier might have wanted to impress the rest of Thais who had been following the month-long soap opera by showing that he did not take offense to the fact that Sivarak had spied on information about his flight schedule and passed it on to First Secretary of the Thai embassy in Cambodia Kamrob Palawatwicha – an allegation that resulted in a 7-yr jail sentence handed down to Sivarak, an employee of Cambodia Air Traffic Services (CATS).

I cannot help but think of an ending scene from a typical old Thai movies in which the lead actor celebrate when after having gone through obstacles while the antagonists either have been killed or arrested. However, the particular drama we are discussing might have ended with a twist, with the hero, in fact, being a villain.

Still, I want to congratulate Simaluck Na Nakhon Phanom on her son’s freedom. But I doubt that Simaluck herself has become a free person herself, taking note that she seemingly had to await cues from Pheu Thai spokesperson Prompong Nopparit for making any public speech or giving interviews to the press.

As a mother who is worried about her son’s safety, Simaluck had no choice but to comply to demands and directions handed down by those whom she believed could help free Sivarak from the unthinkable 7-year jail term in a Cambodian prison.

As for the Thai embassy’s First Secretary Kamrob who was urged to show responsibility by Pheu Thai party members, he did best in carrying out his duty as a civil servant, trying to seek information related to Thaksin’s visit to Cambodia and report to the Thai authorities. Otherwise, he would be criticized for failing to do his job effectively.

But I am surprised that Pheu Thai MPs and advisers of the Cambodian government paid no heed to details of the allegation which signifies that the Cambodian police had a record of phone conversation between the Thai engineer and the Thai embassy's first secretary. Personally, I think this is a very important point, for no countries would allow evidence procured from phone tapping to be used as evidence which is admissible in the court of law, except for a drug smuggling case.

I believe very few Thais would be misled by Sivarak’s case (or Thaksin’s heroic impression). They might have learned already who is acting in the best interest of Thailand.

So I was amazed when the Pheu Thai Party called on the government to restore diplomatic ties with Cambodia immediately, turning a blind eye to the fact that Cambodian leader Hun Sen attacked the Thai judiciary system and appointed Thailand’s political criminal to the economic advisor post.

And with the picture of Pheu Thai party members flocked to visit their mentor in Phnom Penh, it became more evident that Thaksin is taking Cambodia as a new political stronghold.