Hardly a conspiracy

But it is a little much for Cambodia to believe _ let alone to claim so loudly _ that the three men arrested last week in Si Sa Ket province are at the centre of a spy scandal manufactured to make the Phnom Penh government look bad.

After Thailand informed Cambodia that one of its citizens had been arrested, along with a Thai and Vietnamese, Phnom Penh was almost instantly out of control.

An official statement claimed it is all a ''deceitful fabrication'', with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva as chief instigator, no less.

It would be more useful if Cambodia took a little time, and acted a little calmer.

For one thing, a calm response could have elicited more evidence.

At the moment, the only news of the arrests has come from police.

Officers arrested the three men after they were reported to be gathering information on military bases in the southern part of the province.

Si Sa Ket is a volatile area, and the Preah Vihear temple is at the Cambodian border.

Tension is high and suspicion of unknown residents around military camps is understandable.

Police said the three men had papers and maps when arrested, with military facilities marked on the maps. Presumably, these will be presented to the court. There is no specific trial yet set for the three, identified as Thai Suchart Muhammad, 32, Cambodian citizen Ung Kimtai, 43, and Nguyen Teng Dang, 37, a Vietnamese national.

It is somewhat telling that Vietnam was gathering facts of the case before commenting, while officials of Phnom Penh's foreign ministry were almost instantly off the mark with an angry and incredible claim of a conspiracy, involving the prime minister and aimed directly, exclusively at Cambodia.

It is kind to call this irrational. Cambodia should have noticed that Mr Abhisit is currently deeply engaged in a general election campaign, which is not even going well for him.

The only political group which might _ might _ seek to profit from an anti-Cambodia incident is the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), which is not only opposed to the prime minister, but to voting at all.

Not to minimise espionage charges, but the isolated arrests of three men in Si Sa Ket province is not a major, national matter.

The Foreign Ministry informed Cambodia and Vietnam of the arrests before authorities informed the Thai people and media. The arrests of the accused spies could lead in many directions.

While the three men were charged with espionage, there has been no allegation that they were actually working at the direction of another country. One possibility among many is that they were gathering information to sell or give to a foreign country, but another is that they were harbouring data and hoped to profit later. Cambodia, so quick to cry fabrication, has not been accused at all.

The foreign ministry in Phnom Penh said the case has been made up as a ''pretext to justify future aggression''. This verges on paranoia. Numerous and deadly border clashes have already taken place, including at the Si Sa Ket border. It would be better if Cambodia, and indeed some Thai media would wait for further details of this case. The alleged spies will receive justice, and the public will better learn what was behind the espionage accusations.

Bangkok Post