Two convicted Thais to Appeal Next Week: Lawyer

PHNOM PENH, Feb. 3 (Xinhua)-- Two convicted Thais, Veera Somkwamkid and his secretary Ratree Pipatanapaiboon, will appeal next week, said a defense lawyer on Thursday.

Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Tuesday sentenced Veera Somkwamkid, Thailand Patriot Network core member, to 8 years in jail and fined 1.8 million riels (450 U.S. dollars) and Ms. Ratree Paiputana Paiboon, known as Veera's secretary, to 6 years in jail and fined 1.2 million riels (300 U.S. dollars).

Both Veera and Ratree denied the charges, claiming that their arrests on Dec. 29, 2010 by Cambodian troops were made on Thai territory.

"They will file a complaint to the Court of Appeal against the verdict of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court next week," said Pich Vicheka, one of the defense lawyers for the two on Thursday.

The two convicted Thais are among the seven Thais arrested on Dec. 29, 2010 by the Cambodian border protection troops for illegal entry into Cambodian territory in Banteay Meanchey province.

On Jan. 21, the other five were convicted by Phnom Penh Municipal Court to nine months in jail and fined 1 million riels ( 250 U.S. dollars) each for illegal entry and unlawful entry into the military base, but given a suspended sentence, so they were freed to return home since then.

The Cambodian-Thai border has never been fully demarcated. And the two sides have had border conflict just one week after Cambodia's Preah Vihear Temple was registered as World Heritage Site in July 2008.

Since the conflict started, military standoff has been on and off along the two countries' border and several military clashes have already happened with recorded small causalities from both sides.

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