Reading Bangkok Post’s breaking news meaks me wonder how come they can make such an issue a great deal. Most of Thai people know that corrupted Thai politicians do not need to have passport to take refuge in Cambodia. They can go and leave as they like. They themselves are the passport. Wattana Asavahem is there and a mafia in Chonburi province Kumnun Poh is also there. They come to Thailand from time to time but Thailand is not any more their home. It is no surprise that Thaksin does not carry Cambodian passport as he does not need one.
I think since Chalerm’s annoucement yesterday, the media is trying to find out which coutries have issued passport to fugitive Thaksin. He also mentioned Germany, but I donot think it is possible that they would do so. For sure, the embassy has denied it already. Although Deputy Minister Suthep denied that the Cambodian government issued a passport for Thaksin, we can beleive it as mentioned earlier that he does not need one.
Watching the morning news today, I got to know news about Thaksin that the Thai police would charge him with lese majeste for demanding His Majesty the King’s intervene to stop the political riots in comments made to foreign media last month.
In his interviews with British-based Sky News and the Financial Times on April 12 and 13, Thaksin demanded His Majesty intervene in the political unrest in Thailand or people would be killed. He said the King was the only person who could fix the problem.
Read below for the texts taken from FT.
Thaksin Shinawatra has accused the country’s revered king of prior knowledge of the military coup that toppled him in 2006.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Mr Thaksin claimed the king had been briefed by leading generals and privy councillors about their plans to remove the polarising former prime minister ahead of the 2006 coup.According to Mr Thaksin, the coup was presented as a favour to the king, with his privy councillors accusing Mr Thaksin of disloyalty.
“General Surayud, Gen Prem [Tinsulanonda, the senior member of the privy council] and another privy councillor went to have an audience with his majesty the king and told his majesty that they will do favour for him by getting me because I am not loyal to the king,” Mr Thaksin said. “That started the whole process.”
When he tried to quash anti-government protests after the meeting, Mr Thaksin said: “I cannot enforce the law because no one [in the army would] co-operate because there is someone boosting behind them.”
Mr Thaksin was ousted in 2006 after weeks of protests by yellow-shirted opposition supporters. Yellow is the royal colour as well as that of the Peoples’ Alliance for Democracy movement, while Mr Thaksin’s supporters are garbed in red.
Thailand is still wracked by political strife between the rival red- and yellow-clad factions.
Thai Rak Thai, Mr Thaksin’s former political party, and the People’s Power Party, its post-coup successor, are banned. Mr Thaksin now lives in self-imposed exile to avoid corruption charges held against him.
Today when I discussed with colleagues about current political situation, I asked if anyone know about Thaksin’s lese majesty charge. No one seems to know. Yet, a colleague asked me, “Can Thaksin come back to Thailand”? I immediately said “No”. Why? With his past action and reaction to the political crisis in the country, he would be better outside. As long as Abhisit remains as a prime minister with the backing of military and royalty, best advise to Thaksin is to stay away and away.
PM’s guard and drvier of PM’s secretary were assaulted by RED protesters and they said there was no violence. Can we all forgive and move on for national unity? Can we forget what had happened on Black Songkran? Can we really reconciliate RED and non-RED? Well, the right question would be: “Should we live with those who burnt the country, assaulted innocent people and damage the reputation of the country????
I have herd about the above mentioned website a while ago but just have a chance to look at it today. It is a website in Thai revealing the guilt and wrongdoing of Thaksin. For those interested, please click here
The social conflict in Thailand now levels up in cyberspace. I guess this is because Thaksin is far away and the cyberspace is the most effective tool to have your voice heard and to still be relevant but also to mobilise protesters. Thaksin always knows how to remain relevant, how to be on the top of the situation and how to fight back to at least stay in the game. He used the video link to mobilise his supporters to go an all out war against the government. While the country image was damaged and the reputation went down to the bottom, he succeeded in his strategy. His protesters caused damage to the greatest extent to the country and he himself can freely invest in African countries.
I often heard that Thaksin has always received wrong information from people close to him. I would just like to recommend here thaksin wesbite to him so that he knows that even if he wins the war against Abhisit government, it will be very difficult for him to run the country as before.
Thaksin’ speech to urge the RED supporters to fight against Abhisit government and encourage them to resort to violence in the cityof Bangkok just to achieve his own goal…
Once launched an urban terrorism act, his passport was revoked. However, Nicaragua’s first lady announced that Thaksin is a freedom fighter and here is what she said in the interview.
“Thaksin Shinawatra was democratically elected by the majority of Thai people, and was then forced to abandon his duty by a coup in 2006,” said Rosario Murillo, Nicaragua’s first lady and a government spokeswoman.
About two days ago, he has already been to African continent, indicating it for business and investment purpose. He must have thought that the African countries are not as rich as him and might his financial support. I hope those countries will not fall into this cheap plan.
When Thaksin decided to go for broke urging all RED shirt protesters to fight against the government and assassinate the prime minister and terminate the ASEAN Summit, it must have been clear to him that he should be ready to be on the run. There is no chance for him to come back to Thailand and to live happily ever. All his familitay members also left the country a day before the incident truned bloody. They too must have realised that they can not have the life they want, not anymore. They too will be on the run…
His response to the violence that took place after his video link, he chose to give extensive interview with foreign press. They responded to his request positively without looking carefully into the internal situation. A true democracy promoter will never initiate a bloody protest.
Thaksin’s interview with CNN, lying about the whole story or telling the whole truth???
PM Abhisit’s interview with Dan Rivers of CNN, counterbalancing Thaksin’s interview.
I remember when I was a master student in one of the lessons we discussed about PLO whether they are a freedom fighter or a terrorist. My argument was that it depended on the intention and their target. Years later, PLO leader was accepted to the negotiating table with world powers and Palestinaian was recognised as a country. Thaksin was democratically elected and he was ousted by the coup. That is the fact and no one denies it. However, his speech to provoke those RED supporters to fight against other people who do not go with their idea who do not care about whether Thaksin death or alive is undemocratic. If this happens elsewhere in Europe, those protesters will be shot. They will never be allowed to come close to Government House and to easily approach the prime minister. Those will be put in jail. It is a political crime a criminal crime. In any democratic country, people have the rights to protest but they all must be under the law. No one is above law.
Thaksin is on the run and will be on the run forever from now unless he wants to defend his political and criminal crime in Thai court. Will he have the courage to come back. Thaksin, you should look at Nelson Mandela if you are for a true democracy as claimed. Thaksin, where are you when the first gun shot was fired since you often said in your video link speech that you will walk with RED when the first gun shot was fired. RUN Thaksin RUN….some people who used to blindly support you now know the true you…RUN Thaksin RUN…
