Foreign Ministry, minister sued for providing false info on Preah Vihear

A group of activists Monday filed a lawsuit against the Foreign Ministry, foreign minister and four other senior ministry officials accusing them of providing false information about the border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia.

Leaders of the Thai Patriotic Group, namely Chaiwat Sinsuwong, Wanwipha Burutrattanaphan and Somboon Thongburan, filed the lawsuit with the Criminal Court.

In addition to Foreign Minister Surapong Towichukchaikul, the other defendants are permanent secretary for foreign affairs Seehasak Puangketkaew, East Asia Department director-general Passakorn Siriyaphan, Department of Information director-general and ministry spokesman Thani Thongpakdi and Department of Treaties and Legal Affairs deputy director-general Thatchayut Phakdi.

They are being accused of malfeasance in violating Articles 83, 90, 91 and 157 of the Penal Code, as well as loading false information into a computer system, which was damaging to the public.

The Nation