Thaksin Says No Plans To Travel to Cambodia

Fugitive former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra announced early Friday that he does not plan to travel to Cambodia despite the government?s offer of sanctuary here.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen?s offer to house and hire Mr Thaksin in Cambodia, and also to shield him from extradition to Thailand, upstaged events at October?s 15th Asean Summit in Thailand. Ousted in a 2006 coup, Mr Thaksin was convicted in absentia by a Thai court last year of abuse of power charges but remains at large.

?I will not go to Cambodia and will stay here in a Muslim country,? Mr Thaksin was quoted as saying by the website of the English-language Thai newspaper The Bangkok Post, which cited a Thai-language message from Mr Thaksin to the Internet service Twitter.

At the Thai parliament on Thursday, Thai premier Abhisit Vejjajiva responded to opposition criticism of Ms promises to seek Mr Thaksin?s extradition should the latter ever visit Cambodia.

According to The Bangkok Post, opposition Puea Thai lawmaker Chalerm Yubamrung claimed that political charges are exempted from the extradition treaty between Cambodia and Thailand.

?I want to ask the PM who graduated overseas whether he?s ever studied the extradition agreement,? he said.

Mr Abhisit replied: ?I wonder why you are the spokesman of a foreign country, speaking on its behalf.?

Sourced = The Cambodia Daily