Please save my boy

Siwarak Chutipong is either a perfect spy or a perfect victim of a dysfunctional diplomacy. A good son who called his mother every week while on a job abroad and a good pal who is well loved by friends, he is - by appearance at least - someone you would least suspect of trying to steal national security information of utmost importance.

His mother, Simarak, does not believe the Cambodians, who have put him in jail for alleged spying, knew something she did not. The woman is strongly convinced her son is a victim in the Thai-Cambodian showdown over Thaksin Shinawatra.

In an interview yesterday with The Nation, Simarak, a teacher at Nakhon Ratchasima Technical College, pleaded with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to help her son, who was still in Cambodian detention yesterday after being charged with stealing Thaksin's flight schedule.

Contradicting accounts

Adding to her growing concern, Bangkok and Cambodia yesterday gave contradicting accounts over whether her son had been allowed a first visit by a Thai official.

Siwarak, an engineer at Samart subsidiary Cambodia Air Traffic Services (CATS), was arrested last week, and those wanting to contact him from the Thai side have been given no access to the man. Although Cambodia claimed a visit was allowed yesterday afternoon, Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya denied knowledge of such permission. This has aggravated Simarak's anxiety, because her son has heart problems and needs daily medication.

"We planned to see a doctor during his next vacation to discuss a heart operation, which is the only way to cure his problem," she said.

"All I want is for the prime |minister to help my son. I can't and won't do anything at the moment - until I'm certain there's no progress, that is."

Cambodia said a Thai Embassy representative met Siwarak in prison yesterday. But Koy Kuong, a Cambodian Foreign Ministry spokesman, provided no other details except that the visit took place at 2pm, while in Bangkok Foreign Minister Kasit told reporters Thai officials had still been unable to see the suspect.

"Since he was arrested, Thai Embassy officials have kept contacting Cambodian officials to |seek permission to visit him, but it has not been granted yet," Kasit said.

"The visit is an international standard for whoever has been arrested. So far, there is no official charge either. The Thai Foreign Ministry has sent a letter asking, and there has been no reply from Cambodia."

Siwarak's plight will feature during today's Thai Cabinet meeting, among other issues related to the bilateral conflict. Thailand has stood firm on its denial of any attempt to steal classified information and insisted the charges against Siwarak are politically motivated.

Simarak described Siwarak as a "very good son who has never done anything to upset the family".

"He's gentle, likeable and has a lot of friends," she said. "We talk on the mobile phone once or twice a week. He always tells me everything, and I've never heard him discuss or debate politics."

Siwarak, the oldest of Simarak's two children graduated from |the Suranaree University |of Technology in Nakhon Ratchasima and started working for Samart in Thailand after graduation. Almost 10 years ago, he was sent to work at CATS, which remained his employer on the day he was arrested.