Veera case

Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed yesterday that they had received letters seeking a pardon for two Thai nationalists sentenced last month to prison terms for espionage.

Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Koy Kuong said yesterday that letters seeking pardons for Thai Patriot Network coordinator Veera Somkwamkid and his secretary, Ratree Pipattanapaiboon, had been submitted to the ministry by the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh on Wednesday.

“The ministry has received the letters of the convicted Thais seeking amnesty, and we will evaluate the requests through legal channels with the Ministry of Justice,” Koy Kuong said.

He added that the letters would be forwarded to the Ministry of Justice for consideration by King Norodom Sihamoni.

Veera and Ratree were arrested last year for illegal entry into Cambodia and espionage charges after inspecting a border area claimed by Thailand in Sa Kaew province. They were sentenced on February 1 to eight-year and six-year prison terms respectively.