Breakback for diamondPrasas becomes a Thai diplomat in the Cambodian king's court as relations improve / Breakback for diamondBanharn gets an unwelcome surprise as his request for a favour is denied by the government / Breakback for diamondThe DSI faces increasing criticism as accusations of political meddling and improper conduct pile up
Published: 11/09/2010
Nevia CAAI
The Thai ambassador to Cambodia Prasas Prasasvinitchai has presented his credentials to the country's King Sihamoni, a vital procedure that formalises his diplomatic posting.
Prasas: On a mission of amelioration
Mr Prasas was initially scheduled to meet the Cambodian king on Oct 18 but Prime Minister Hun Sen brought the date forward to yesterday.
Phnom Penh is Mr Prasas' first ambassadorial post and hopefully not his last because he still has nearly a decade to go before he is due to retire.
In the past, Mr Prasas was mistaken by many of his bureaucratic peers and members of the media for a palad amphoe (assistant district chief) or phuwa (governor) due to his appearance.
He was often seen wearing Thai-style shirts usually worn by local administrators and kept a low profile.
Because he had to travel upcountry often and held many meetings with military and provincial officials, it is perhaps understandable that he left his suits and neckties at home.
A law graduate of Thammasat University, he has been working at the Foreign Ministry's Department of the Treaty and Legal Affairs since 1977, dealing with lots of nitty gritty matters, mostly concerning border issues.
His straightforward and outspoken manner sometimes has not gone down well with certain politicians, diplomat colleagues and state officials. Yet, his sincerity and sound logic have also enabled him to beat some tough diplomatic challenges with neighbouring countries and helped him overcome problems with other ministries.
It took him a long time before he was appointed head of the division of border affairs in 2000. It has been observed that officials with a background in law tend to be left behind when promotions are handed out at the Foreign Ministry.
Mr Prasas is one of only a very few working diplomats who have been able to read neighbouring countries' political manoeuvrings over border affairs. He remembers all the significant chapters of past border treaties with France and Britain and is well acquainted with military and interior officials based at the border.
Before moving to Rangoon and assuming the second most important post at the embassy there, he was made deputy head of the Department of East Asian Affairs for a few years.
During his posting to Burma, Mr Prasas was also called to provide support for negotiators at the Christchurch talks of the World Heritage Committee in 2007, which discussed Cambodia's solo attempt to seek the heritage listing of the Preah Vihear temple.
The whole of last year was truly a rough one for Thai-Cambodian relations and the Thai ambassador's seat in Phnom Penh was vacant for nearly 10 months.
Soon after being appointed ambassador to Cambodia, Mr Prasas left Bangkok but in less than a month he was recalled. That was nine days after ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was appointed a personal adviser to Hun Sen and economic adviser to the Cambodian government.
Now that the Thai and Cambodian ambassadors have got back to work, and with signs of eased tensions between the two sides, observers are keeping their fingers crossed as to how long the improved relations will last.
After all, the public hearing on the memorandum of understanding for the reconvening of the Joint Boundary Committee should be ready for Thai parliamentary scrutiny late next month.
If there are no further incidents to dampen bilateral ties, full normalisation of the troubled bilateral relations can then be expected.
If not, Mr Prasas will have to stand ready for yet another diplomatic storm.
Patron power fails Suphan supremo
Banharn Silpa-archa is indisputably one seasoned politician who does not take no for an answer.
The former leader of the now defunct Chart Thai Party continues to have his way even in the Chart Thai Pattana Party, which emerged from the ashes of the former group.
He also commands enough political clout to get what he wants outside the party. The Chart Thai Pattana's size makes it attractive to larger parties looking to form a government and the records confirm that the party and its previous incarnation have spent far more time as part of the government than in the opposition.
Although Mr Banharn has been banned from politics for five years after being convicted of complicity with other Chart Thai executives in electoral fraud, there is no denying that when he speaks, his party members listen.
Chart Thai Pattana constitutes a major support base for the government, giving Mr Banharn the full respect of coalition parties.
But the extent of Mr Banharn's influence was put to the test recently when Mr Banharn requested a personal favour from the ruling Democrat Party. He reportedly approached Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban to ask that his close aide, Pol Maj Gen Kamronwit Thoopkrajang, deputy commissioner of the Provincial Police Bureau 1, be promoted to lieutenant-general and made commissioner of the bureau, according to a government source.
The bureau supervises police affairs in parts of the Central Plain, including Suphan Buri, Mr Banharn's political base and the largest beneficiary of his patronage, and the provinces surrounding the capital.
This time Mr Banharn's influence was not enough to win the day and Pol Maj Gen Kamronwit didn't get the promotion.
The source said Pol Maj Gen Kamronwit does not have the confidence of the Democrat Party as he is suspected of retaining close ties with ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra. He is also seen to have adopted a ''hawk'' policy in conducting police operations when he was the chief of police in Narathiwat during the Thaksin administration.
Mr Abhisit and Mr Suthep reportedly chose to break with Mr Banharn over the favour rather than risk promoting a ''tomato'', as pro-red shirt state officials are known, amid the current volatile climate.
He was later transferred to Bangkok to head a special security patrol and operations unit in the capital.
A decorated officer, Pol Maj Gen Kamronwit may be close to Mr Banharn but he has found it hard to shake off his association with Thaksin. Even now, he is providing security to Deputy House Speaker Apiwan Wiriyachai who took to the stage during the red shirt rallies in Bangkok in April and May.
Political observers are watching now to see if the loss of face incurred by Mr Banharn for failing to secure Gen Kamronwit's promotion will threaten his stature in the coalition government.
The government may, however, have to come up with ways to make up with Mr Banharn.
Fertiliser case leaves lasting stink
Piyawat: Frustrated at DSI dealings
The Poodang pyramid fund controversy has once again exposed the political interference alleged to be rife in the Department of Special Investigation.
Public faith in the transparency of the DSI's investigation took a battering after the case against the fertiliser producer was dropped. The department also went further and allowed bail for the suspects against the recommendation of the team of investigation officials.
DSI deputy chief Narat Savetnant insisted it was within the DSI's authority not to submit the case to the prosecution for the suspects to be indicted. The department chief Tharit Pengdit did not have to go along with the investigators' recommendation.
The Justice Ministry earlier ordered a probe into allegations that a senior DSI officer lobbied to have the Poodang pyramid scheme case dropped.
The allegations were made by the DSI's Bureau of Special Crime director Piyawat Kingkate, who released two audio clips of conversations between him and a C-8 subordinate regarding the lobbying attempts.
Pol Col Piyawat claimed the DSI investigator in question tried to lobby him to help the executives of Best 59 Co, the producer of the Poodang Kitozan brand of fertiliser, who face fraud charges.
The source at the Justice Ministry said the DSI investigator in question has played a key role in tracking down transactions in many financial investigations.
The investigator also reportedly has close ties to the Democrat Party in Prachuap Khiri Khan.
The source said there were attempts to have the case dropped and Pol Col Piyawat was reportedly asked by a certain element to ''provide leeway'' in the investigation through which the Poodang suspects could escape prosecution.
Pol Col Piyawat vented his frustration about the alleged interference on his Facebook page.
There is no doubt the DSI has been in charge of many high-profile criminal cases involving senior politicians.
Naturally, it is one of the agencies most prone to political meddling as many want the results of investigations to swing in their favour.
The alleged meddling varies in form. During the red shirt protests in Bangkok in April and May, the DSI was viewed as a key government instrument in enforcing the law against security offenders.
But calls have been repeated for the DSI to be detached from politics to restore the agency's integrity and help earn more public trust.
But it is clear the DSI is one of the prime agencies that people in government target to get their close aides into the top positions.
During the Thak Rak Thai Party-led government, Pol Gen Sombat Amornvivat was appointed DSI chief. In the previous government under the People Power Party, the agency was run by Pol Col Thawee Sodsong who was replaced by Mr Tharit when the Democrat Party took over the government.
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