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By Tulsathit Taptip
Our desperate plea for help with the translation of a letter the Nicaraguan Embassy sent to the Thai Embassy there regarding Thaksin Shinawatra's special passport status has receiving overwhelming responses. We would like to thank everyone of you _ from Spanish natives to those who resorted to google translator to help as well as one man who advised us that singer Paiboon "Pan" Kiatkiewkaew should be able to help thanks to his Spanish knowledge.
Almost everyone of you agreed that "adolece de sustentacion" means "lacks basis" or "lacks support". Therefore, the Nicaraguan Embassy was telling the Thai Embassy that news reports about Thaksin getting citizenship or passport in Nicaragua were unfounded, groundless or baseless.
One reader also noted that the Nicaraguan press statement confirming Thaksin's special ambassador status does not necessarily mean he was granted honorary citizenship with a travel document that can take him anywhere in the world.
There are some cautious voices, though. "The translation is 'the said report lacks substance'," said Alastar Adams. "But I would be very cautious about interpreting this as a denial that a passport has been issued. A denial would be written along the lines "the Nicaraguan government confirms that a passport was not issued".
Louis Macareo gave a similar caution. "Keep in mind that they are not technically denying the possibility of it being true. It simply can not be confirmed," he said. "The translation is a very diplomatic way of saying that "the news to which you refer can no be substantiated" i.e., at least from the information that they have, it is NOT true."
Giancarlo Galavotti saw the opposite. "The verb "adolecer" literally means to suffer beacause of an illness, and in diplomatic terms is used to soften the impact of a simple "It's a LIE".
Eduardo Campos-Tortosa, who was kind enough to offer to translate the whole embassy letter, has come up with full translation that seems to confirm that the embassy was denying Thaksin had been given a passport:
| QUOTE (Seal, that reads "Republic of Nicaragua - Central America") EMBASSY OF NICARAGUA IN MEXICO EDNIC/EMB/91/2009
The Embassy of the Republic of Nicaragua in Mexico presents its compliments to the Embassy of the Kingdom of Thailand in Mexico and has the honor to refer to the latter's Note No.
31001/126/2552, by which the Embassy requested assistance in order to verify the news reported by the Press in Thailand, concerning the alleged grant of Nicaraguan citizenship and Nicaraguan Passport to Dr. Thaksin Shinawatra, Ex-Primer Minister of Thailand.
The Embassy of the Republic of Nicaragua informs the Royal Thai Embassy in Mexico that the news under scrutiny have no substance (or "are unsupported". Either version is acceptable).
The Embassy of the Republic of Nicaragua in Mexico avails itself of this opportunity to reiterate to the Embassy of the Kingdom of Thailand in Mexico the assurances of its highest and most distinguished consideration.
Mexico, D.F. 15 April 2009 Seal and Signature TO THE ROYAL THAI EMBASSYCIUDAD (In town) UNQUOTE
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Well, this should settle the embassy issue, although the translation raised some questions concerning the Nicaraguan government's stand on Thaksin over the past few days.
We would like to thank all of you again for following our website and responding to our plea without hesitation. Someone looked in the Spanish dictionary, another contacted his Mexican co-worker and several others emailed people they know in order to help us. Many thanks. We do appreciate it.
Gracias y buena suerte
-The Nation/Asia News Network
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