At 4 a.m., still dark, Ekapop Luara, aka Tang Acheewa, hurriedly packed his suitcase and left Sihanoukville, a town in Cambodia. The next destination was unknown. But he knew he had to run to avoid being captured by agents of the Thai military. Since Thailand's coup of May 22, Ekapob has been hunted by the junta. The charges against him: being anti-coup and committing lèse-majesté.
Ekapop is among a number of Thai fugitives seeking refuge in Thailand's neighboring countries. By now, it is clear that Ekapop is hiding somewhere in Cambodia. He is under the protection of the Cambodian office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). But that does not necessarily guarantee his safety, particularly after the recent rapprochement between Thailand and Cambodia.
On Sept. 1, only a few days after the military Cabinet was formed, the newly appointed deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Gen. Thanasak Patimapakorn, also the current chief of defense forces, visited Cambodia. Thanasak met with Prime Minister Hun Sen. The mood of a celebration was upbeat. After the meeting, Cambodia declared that Thanasak's visit was meant to improve bilateral relations that had deteriorated following the territorial dispute over the Hindu Temple of Preah Vihear that erupted in 2008.
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