Wall Street Journal Via Prachatai: Thaksin's Op-Ed

'To Return to a Democratic Thailand '

Thaksin Shinawatra
19 September 2007
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One year ago today I was in New York , preparing to address the United Nations General Assembly on behalf of my nation. I was filled with pride as I looked forward to delivering my remarks.

One year before, I had been overwhelmingly re-elected as prime minister of Thailand . Thanks to the people of my nation, I was the first leader in the near 100-year history of Thailand to be not just democratically elected, but democratically re-elected. Under my administration, we had cut poverty almost in half, provided universal access to affordable health care for the first time, balanced the budget and paid off our debts to the International Monetary Fund. In addressing the United Nations, I intended to emphasize to the world the success and maturity of our democracy.

I was never able to deliver my remarks, however, because I awoke on the morning of Sept. 19 to the news that my government -- and Thailand 's democratic constitution -- had been overthrown in a military coup.

The coup came as a shock to me and to most Thais. Democracy appeared to have become well entrenched in Thailand following adoption of the Constitution of 1997. Also known as the "People's Constitution," this charter was universally acclaimed as the most democratic constitution in the history of Thailand .

The people of Thailand have the same democratic aspirations and expectations as the people of other mature nations, and they will not rest until these are restored to them. Regrettably, the military rulers in Bangkok have spent most of the past year worrying not about promoting our nation's economic development or restoring basic rights to the Thai people, but rather about preventing me or anyone sharing my political philosophy from returning to political power.

In reflecting on the past year, I am appalled by the suffering that has been inflicted on the Thai people by the junta's misplaced priorities. I have made clear to all who will listen that I have no desire to again hold political office in Thailand . As a patriot whose first loyalty is to my King and country, I wish only to return to a democratic Thailand to live in peace with my family.

The junta justified the coup in part on the assertion that my administration was corrupt. Once in power, they created a government agency whose sole purpose was to validate this claim by finding me and my family guilty of some form of financial malfeasance. After investigating me for a year, none of the original charges has been sustained, so they have concocted new ones. In so doing, they have had to invent new interpretations of Thai law with respect to investment and taxation.

These new legal interpretations cannot be applied only to me, however, which has jeopardized Thailand 's hard-earned reputation for predictability and respect for the rule of law. As a result, foreign investment -- long a principal engine of Thailand 's economic growth -- has begun to dry up.

To try to stop me or anyone sharing my enthusiasm for free markets and democracy from ever regaining power in a free election, the junta has banned my former political party, forbidden over 100 of the most prominent political figures in Thailand from running for political office, and frozen my financial assets in Thailand . For most of the past year, Thailand has been under martial law, with freedom of the press restricted and activity by political parties severely limited.

The junta appointed a committee to draft a new constitution for Thailand , stacking it with hand-picked bureaucrats. The committee's top priority was to reduce the role of the Thai people and their elected representatives in national decision making. The constitution they produced needlessly reduces the size of the lower house of parliament to 480 from 500 members, the size of the Senate to 160 from 200 members, and redraws parliamentary districts in a manner designed to diminish the voting strength of the 35 provinces in northern and northeastern Thailand that have been most strongly opposed to the coup.

In addition, the new constitution strips the Thai people of the power to elect the Senate. Instead, senators will henceforth be appointed by unelected selection committees. The antidemocratic role of the Senate and the judiciary is amplified by features empowering the Senate to appoint heads of independent agencies and to remove the publicly elected prime minister.

In a referendum last month, an unexpectedly large number of Thais voted against adoption of the constitution, despite severe restrictions on organized opposition to the referendum imposed by the junta during the campaign.

There will now be a national election on Dec. 23, which the junta wants the world to accept as free and fair. As campaigning begins, however, the junta continues to apply martial law in the 35 northern and northeastern provinces. In those provinces, it remains illegal for more than 10 persons to gather for political purposes -- though this rule and others are rarely enforced against political parties favored by the junta. To ensure itself a free hand, the junta is resisting efforts by the European Union and others to deploy election monitors.

The world appears inclined to accept all these departures from democratic norms. The explanation is as simple as it is troubling. The international community is so disgusted by the junta's mismanagement that it wants it to pass from the scene as soon as possible. Rather than quarrel over the details of democracy, the world appears ready to look the other way so as to provide no reason for the junta to delay the Dec. 23 election. In a bizarre twist, the junta's greatest weaknesses -- its incompetence and unpopularity -- have been transformed into its greatest short-term strengths.

The world is miscalculating, however, if it thinks there can be stability in Thailand without true democracy. The voters of northern and northeastern Thailand who the junta wants to disenfranchise may be poor, but they will not be denied their voice -- nor will the millions of other Thais whose rights are being restricted.

We will not have stability, democracy and development in Thailand until we have genuine national reconciliation. Needless to say, national reconciliation will not be achieved at gunpoint or through rigged elections, but rather when our generals and politicians finally put the national interest above their own narrow interests.

Mr. Thaksin is a former prime minister of Thailand .

Source: 'To Return to a Democratic Thailand '

Deutsche Press Agentur via The Nation : Deposed premier Thaksin mulled government in exile

Jakrapob claimed Thaksin changed the idea after he received a telephone call from a mysterious person in Bangkok, Deutsche Press Agentur reported.

Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra seriously considered setting up a government in exile after he was toppled by a military coup last year, a close aide to the deposed premier has revealed.

"Right after the coup of September 19, 2006, we planned to launch a government in exile but a telephone call from Bangkok changed all that," Jakrapob Penkair, a former deputy chief of staff to premier Thaksin, told the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand Wednesday night


When the crucial decision came, even he made the decision based on the patronage system," told correspondents in a prepared speech on "democracy versus patronage" in Thailand.

link


It might have been a member of the royal family(Queen, Crown Prince?) who called, because the king would never call himself. It could have been Prem, which would explain the protests, and there was the infamous Thaksin video at the airport, where he blames Prem.

Bangkok Post: Community Radio Broadcasts Interview with Thaksin, Junta Gestapo Agents Pay a Visit

After Thaksin calls, officials drop by

BangkokPost.com


The military junta and the Public Relations Department on Thursday inspected the Confidante community radio station hours after ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra called to talk to listeners on-air. The station then went silent. Council for National Security chairman Sonthi Boonyaratkalin said that he assigned the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) to find more information on the radio station and report to the CNS.

In the broadcast, which was repeated by the Confidante station just before it went off the air, Mr Thaksin called for an early election, and said people would not tolerate any delays in the election, points he has made in previous interviews overseas.

Bavorn Techa-in, chief of the National Broadcasting Commission which is under the government's PRD, said he was assigned to inspect the station, which is in the northern Bangkok suburbs in Nonthaburi province.

Mr Bavorn said the station had been set up unlawfully. He denied, however, that there was any order to shut down the station.

Mr Bavorn may have been economical with the truth. Other media reports quoted the chief of the PRD as saying he had issued an order to close down the radio station.

Either way, Confidante radio stops airing its program on Thursday afternoon. One report quoted staff as telling the PRD inspectors that broadcasting equipment was broken, and they had to send it out for repairs on Thursday morning.

The inspectors seized a tape recording of the 15-minute call and talk by Mr Thaksin, who phoned the station from London late on Wednesday.

Mr Thaksin called the low-powered community radio station, which can be heard in many parts of Bangkok.

Announcer Chupong Theethuan told the AFP news agency he was "shocked and speechless" when he realised the person on the other line was the ex-premier.

It was the first time Mr Thaksin had spoken to any Thai media since the Sept 19 coup. Mr Thaksin said he believed people would not tolerate any delays in the election.

He told the Council for National Security and the government that they need not worry about him, but instead should use their time to solve problems of the country.

He thanked his supporters and gave them encouragement to go through the problems they faced.

The content of the broadcast was not especially newsworthy. Mr Thaksin said much the same thing in interviews with the foreign media earlier this year.

The ousted premier mentioned buying Manchester City league but refused to give details. He only said it will benefit Thailand if he purchased the Premier League team, without clarifying how.


1997 Constitution

Section 63. No person shall exercise the rights and liberties prescribed in the Constitution to overthrow the democratic regime of government with the King as Head of the State under this Constitution or to acquire the power to rule the country by any means which is not in accordance with the modes provided in this Constitution.


Section 65. A person shall have the right to resist peacefully any act committed for the acquisition of the power to rule the country by a means which is not in accordance with the modes provided in this Constitution.


My stance is that as long as Thaksin has not been indicted, hasn't had his liberties restricted through a legal process, and has not been convicted of a crime, he can do whatever he wants as long as it is within the law.

I don't see any harm in talking to his supporters on the radio. He didn't ask anybody to rise up against the government or tell his supporters to go on murderous rampages in his name.

And these dunderheads who run the government don't seem to get that every time they make a big deal about Thaksin, he becomes a big deal.


Here is more in the Bangkok Post on the same story:


FM station raided and shut down

Thaksin interview on air sparks crackdown

Yuwadee Tunyasiri


Broadcasting regulators yesterday raided and shut down a community radio station which ran an interview with ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, and threatened to crack down on thousands of illegal community radio stations. The FM 87.75 station was raided and closed down yesterday after the Public Relations Department, the regulator of community radio stations, found that it had no licence to operate.

Department chief Pramoj Rathavinij said yesterday that he ordered drastic measures against the stations which aired comments from Mr Thaksin for national security reasons, adding the department would take this opportunity to deal with around 3,000 illegal community radio stations across the country.

The deposed leader called three radio stations known to be sympathetic to him on Wednesday night.

Besides the FM 87.75 community radio station, he called the FM 92.75 taxi drivers' community radio and the internet radio station run by the Saturday Voice Against Dictatorship website.

Continued


I thought one of the reasons for the coup was that Thaksin was censoring his political opposition.

I guess all the hypocritical Thaksin haters are happy that their beloved junta is now playing from the same play book.


Update:


Two men arrested for running community radio station without license


Two men were arrested Friday for operating 92.75 MHz community radio station without license.

Police and Public Relations Department officials raided the station of the Taxi Drivers Club at 2:30 pm and arrested the house owner, Shinawat Haboonnak and the station director, Phansak Sabu.

The two were charged with operating the station without license.

Police and the PR Department officials took the action after former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra called into the programme to talk to his supporters.

Shinawat said the station had stopped broadcast on air for four days because its transmitter broke down. However, the station broadcast through its website, www.shinawatradio.com.


I wonder where are all the free speech and human rights groups. Where is the mainstream media?

Junta agents shut down a community radio station and arrested the operators for interviewing Thaksin. Other stations are on the hit list.

In Chiang Mai, three anti-coup activists were detained by junta agents and taken to a military based for "questioning."

All this is happening and nobody does anything.

But hey, as long as some people can simmer in their hatred for Thaksin, it is OK for the rest of us to suffer under this new seeping totalitarianism.

The Nation: Thaksin Says Bye Bye to Edelman

Thaksin ends PR contract amid flak


The Nation


Deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has terminated his association with United States-based public relations company Edelman.

The move is a bid to end allegations he hired the company to lobby Washington to place Thailand on a list of copyright violators, his lawyer said yesterday.

Noppadon Pattama denied Thaksin hired Edelman to generate publicity against Thailand and that the company was behind the downgrade of Thailand's trade status with the US.

"To prevent further misunderstanding, Thaksin cancelled his contract with Edelman," he said.

Continued


Now who are all the lazy reporters and wacky Thai politicians going to blame now?

It was easy for them to cook up moronic conspiracy theories that they didn't have to prove.

The Nation: Thaksin becomes Thai Golf President

[GOLF] Deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was elected president of the Professional Golf Association of Thailand (PGAT) yesterday, vowed to keep out of politics and spend money from his foundation to develop the country's education and sports.

Despite his absence overseas, the former premier, who was forced to give up power in the military coup last September, received unanimous votes from 71 members present during the PGAT General Assembly Meeting at The Legacy Golf Club.

Only two names - the other being Torpong Chiyasarn - were nominated for the post. Torpong, a Thai Rak Thai Party member, withdrew from the race. Professional golfers Prom Meesawat and Thammanoon Srirot were among those who cast votes for the former premier.

Continued

For some reason I thought this was hilarious. This was definitely a "jump the shark" moment.

Is this association real or just a place with an official sounding name?

Thaksin and Lese Majeste Update

Sonthi accepts lese majeste decision

The Nation


Council for National Security chairman General Sonthi Boonyaratglin said Wednesday he respected the decision of public prosecutors who opted not to pursue cases of lese majeste against deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Sonthi commented after the decision was announced on Tuesday. He said the matter was going through the legal process and overseen by the police, so the CNS would not interfere.

"We respect the decision of the public prosecutors," he said.

Claims of lese majeste were cited as one of four general reasons used by the junta to justify the coup on Sept 19 to depose Thaksin.

Asked if the decision meant the coup-makers had not done their work successfully, Sonthi replied that he could not explain all reasons to the public because it involved national security.


One reason the military got rid of Thaksin was because he dissed the monarchy. The public prosecutors let Thaksin off the hook. But General Sonthi says there is more information, but he can't reveal it because of national security.

In other words, the military overthrew the government for something that it refuses to talk about. And this asshole Sonthi is the one who said he overthrew the government in the name of protecting "real democracy." Somebody should tell this general that he can't just capriciously overthrow elected governments without any legitimate reasons.

And, guess what, the PAD and the Campaign for Popular Democracy are going to stand by and accept this. But I guess I always knew what a sham both those organizations are.

Not only are the phony democrats going to accept it, they are going to start their protests up again because the junta is not tough enough on the Thaksinistas and the anti-coup protesters.

One Reason for Deposing Thaksin Thrown Out by Prosecutors

LESE MAJESTE CASES

Thaksin clears 1st legal hurdle

The Nation

Prosecutors cite lack of evidence of malicious intent; critic says decision should be reviewed

Public prosecutors decided yesterday to drop charges of lese majeste against deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, saying they lacked solid evidence to prove malicious intent against His Majesty the King.

The lese majeste charges were one of four general accusations used by the junta to justify the coup on September 19 to topple Thaksin. Corruption, intervention in independent bodies and causing national disunity were the other main accusations against Thaksin.

The prosecutors' decision was controversial and there were calls late yesterday for the police chief to seek a second opinion on whether to take the matters further.

Chief criminal prosecutor Sermkiart Woradit said: "Thaksin, then prime minister, should not have made such inappropriate comments in his public speeches but his words could not be classified as defamation, insulting or threatening against His Majesty." Two of the cases stemmed from speeches by Thaksin. The first was to a rally of taxi drivers on December 25, 2005. The second was a televised address aired by Channel 11 on February 4, 2006. The third case involved supporters from the Caravan of the Poor group waving flags with the royal insignia when they greeted him last March.

Continued


I have to give credit the public prosecutors for having the courage to drop these charges. They must have a lot of pressure to cook up as many crimes against Thaksin as possible.

Now will Thaksin sue the generals for accusing him of a crime he didn't commit?

Maybe the generals and police will accuse him of human rights abuses during his "War on Drugs."

But I doubt it.

So far, the government's case against Thaksin: His wife bought land and she avoided paying taxes ten years ago.

Do these alleged crimes against Thaksin's wife justify an illegal coup and tearing up the constitution? Nope

Washington Post/Reuters: Chiang Mai Still Supports Thaksin

Charges Fail to Rock Thaksin's Hometown Support

By Nopporn Wong-Anan

Reuters
Thursday, March 29, 2007; 10:55 PM

SAN KHAMPHAENG, Thailand (Reuters) - Despite bringing criminal tax evasion charges against his family, Thailand's generals do not appear to be convincing ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's hometown backers he is a crook.

"I feel sorry for him. He was ousted in a coup and accused of cheating the country and there's no truth in it," said Chei Taepin, a 75-year-old noodle soup vendor who said he knew Thaksin, 57, when he was at primary school in San Khamphaeng.

Chei, like others, reckons the charges brought against Thaksin's wife and her brother this week are a proxy case against the charismatic billionaire who won two landslide elections on the back of massive support in the rural heartlands.

"They are afraid of him returning to politics. They can't defeat him politically, so they have to come up with all sorts of allegations," said Chei, who hangs a huge campaign poster of Thaksin wearing an outfit worn for royal functions in his shop.

The military moved in last September 19, accusing Thaksin of presiding over rampant corruption, abuse of power and cronyism, charges he denies.

A military-appointed panel is probing more than a dozen cases of alleged wrongdoing during Thaksin's five years in office and the tax evasion charges are the first to reach court.

But people in San Khamphaeng, a small handicraft town on the outskirts of the northern tourism center of Chiang Mai, still back Thaksin for policies branded by his critics as populist and aimed at keeping the poor and rural voters happy.

"JEALOUSY"

In Chiang Mai, Thailand's second city, people remember Thaksin for large highways, massive government offices and a flower fair which drew almost four million people to the province earlier this year.

"Thaksin is a modern man who got things done very quickly," said Chaba Nosuya, a 34-year-old teacher at a government school.

"His only mistake was being too confident in what he did, which brought jealousy from rivals," she said.

Other programs like cheap health care, annual grants to villages and a two-year war on drugs in which more than 2,000 people were killed keep feelings for Thaksin warm.

"People are grateful to Thaksin," said Supatra Kittawong, a retired teacher and now chairwoman of a million-baht ($28,500) village fund.

"People don't care what Thaksin has done wrong. It is his personal business," Supatra said.

The village funds, which critics alleged were spent on luxuries like motorcycles and mobile phones, had created jobs in her area, Supatra said.

Borrowers invested the money in goods sold at the weekend market in the town, she said.

But Supatra said there were fears the interim government would scrap such projects initiated by Thaksin as economic growth slowed amid political uncertainty.

"We will just have to wait and see what the government will do with the SML Fund," said Supatra referring to the annual grant given to villages in accordance with their population size to use as the communities sees fit.

I thought that this was interesting. This is a story you won't read about in the vernacular press.

Thaksin Speaks : Interview in Australia

Correspondents Report - Sunday, 18 February , 2007 Reporter: Karen Percy ELIZABETH JACKSON: Thailand's former Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, has been enjoying the sun and sand down under this week, as he plays golf and visits friends. He's also in the market for a house and has Sydney's Eastern Suburbs in mind. But while Thaksin Shinawatra might want to call Australia home, he's unlikely to call Thailand home for some time yet. The military junta that deposed him in September is still determined to keep him out. Our South East Asia Correspondent, Karen Percy, reports. KAREN PERCY: Since being forced out of office in September's military coup, Thaksin Shinawatra has had time on his hands, and he's been travelling the region. Sydney, Melbourne and Perth were on the itinerary this week. During a lengthy interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation while in the harbour city, the former prime minister spoke of his past and his future, and threw in some advice for Thailand's military junta as well. THAKSIN SHINAWATRA: Don't worry about me. If they take good care of the people, it means that that much the King and the Queen will be very happy, because they love their people. KAREN PERCY: Despite being toppled from power, Mr Thaksin can still claim to be Thailand's most successful elected leader. THAKSIN SHINAWATRA: Democracy in Thailand has been developed from baby to adolescence, to teenager. It's growing to be a mature person, but it's happened to fall down. When you fall down at that age, you strong enough when you come back. You can stand back and you have moved forward. You are not turning back to baby again because you are strong enough. So, I think, after this year, the regime have to return the power back to the people, because Thai people love democracy, freedom and liberty. KAREN PERCY: The generals behind the coup say they acted to end the divisions within the country, which they say were caused by Mr Thaksin. That's something the former leader denies. THAKSIN SHINAWATRA: Maybe some elite, they enjoy weak politics; they enjoy interest benefit from me having weak politics. So, I don't know. But I think that the divisive has been created, not by me, by those who want to trouble me. KAREN PERCY: He says the elite of Bangkok didn't like him because he was too strong and because helped the poor and working classes. Mr Thaksin says he's proud of his efforts to assist lower income earners. He made affordable health care available to all Thais and provided loans to farmers and businesses in rural areas. THAKSIN SHINAWATRA: Too much big gaps is dangerous, it's dangerous so, I tried to bridge the gap. KAREN PERCY: But a Washington based think-thank, Business Executives For National Security, describes Thailand as having one of the highest levels of income inequality in the world, with the poorest 20 per cent of the population earning under 5 per cent of the nation's income, while the top 20 per cent earn almost two third's of the nation's income. Thaksin Shinawatra's told the ABC that he wants to continue to work with the poor, and is considering a research role in academia. His future will also include more philanthropy, in light of the billions of dollars he and his family received in the tax-free sale of their telecommunications firm Shin Corporation. THAKSIN SHINAWATRA: They may ask the family to pay, but if they ask to pay, we'll pay, but we have to protect our right that, by law, we don't have to pay. Why do we have to pay? But we may spend that money in more charitable activities. KAREN PERCY: The former leader says by not paying tax, he's maintaining the integrity of the system. THAKSIN SHINAWATRA: We have to keep the principle, otherwise the whole principle has collapsed and who's going to trust your system? Let the system be a system that is trusted worldwide, otherwise no one will want to invest in Thailand. KAREN PERCY: There are several ongoing investigations into the Shin Corp sale, which took place just over a year ago and was the beginning of the end of Mr Thaksin's time in office. The fact that the company was purchased by Singapore government interests led many Thais to question Mr Thaksin's loyalty. Since starting his new life in exile, Mr Thaksin's spent a lot of time and money trying to counter allegations of corruption and cronyism. He says nobody should be surprised that many of his friends and relations are in the two million-strong public service in Thailand. He says that's because he comes from a large family. As well, he says, he's got deep and long-term ties with the police force. THAKSIN SHINAWATRA: I'm the Prime Minister at 51, you know, and ousted at 57. Six years, so my classmates, my family, themselves in the government officials, they happen to grow up and they age. I'm very strict to the principle, if you look at all the qualifications, it's according to law. KAREN PERCY: The allegations against the former prime minister have been coming thick and fast in recent weeks because of the many problems that have been revealed at the brand new Bangkok airport. There are cracks in the taxiways and runways, and there are many problems inside the terminals too. Thaksin Shinawatra pushed the project aggressively when he was in office, and insisted that it be opened just in time for October's election, a poll that was ultimately cancelled because of the military takeover. And it's pretty clear now that the $4 billion facility wasn't anywhere near ready. There's talk of corrupt deals, bribery and a business culture where contractors used substandard materials were used to maintain profits. THAKSIN SHINAWATRA: There might be some corruption, but I cannot go into everything in detail as a Prime Minister. KAREN PERCY: The government that replaced Thaksin Shinawatra has been working hard to restore relations with the people who live in the country's three southernmost provinces, where insurgents and Muslim militants have spent the past few years in intense battles against the military. THAKSIN SHINAWATRA: They are killing innocent people. Can you just stay there and do nothing? You have to arrest. You have to do it. KAREN PERCY: Mr Thaksin says he did not overreact in dealing with the violence in the south THAKSIN SHINAWATRA: I used the concept of both iron fist and whethered cloth. KAREN PERCY: The current Prime Minister, Surayud Chulanont, this week expressed frustration at the slow pace of progress in the south. The new government has apologised for the Tak Bai massacre of 2004, where more than 80 people were crushed when they were arrested and piled into a truck. The families are now being compensated. Mr Thaksin says he's not responsible, instead, he says, it was negligence. THAKSIN SHINAWATRA: They don't have enough trucks, and it's been supervised by low-ranking officials, and they're just trying to protect themselves, not being pushed down into the trucks, so they stack them up. That is very bad. KAREN PERCY: This interview with Mr Thaksin hasn't provoked the strong outcry that others have in recent months, perhaps because the generals are trying to look a little less paranoid and less thin-skinned. But they remain concerned about his influence both inside and outside of Thailand, and as a result they're putting great efforts into countering his message and reinforcing their own. They worry that Thais might start to believe what they and many others see as Mr Thaksin's rewriting of history. This is Karen Percy for Correspondents Report.

Is Thaksin Australia's Newest Mate?

ANALYSIS

Legal reasons behind a Thaksin home in Sydney?

News that former Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra is looking for a home in Sydney has spurred speculation as to whether he has other motives for wanting to live Down Under.

Indeed, there may be legal reasons behind his supposed interest in buying a home in Australia's biggest city.

Aside from the fine beaches, golf courses and a warmer climate than, say, London, Australia does not have a formal extradition treaty with Thailand.

What if Thaksin applies for political asylum? He was the prime minister of Thailand and he got overthrown in an illegal coup. If the junta can't drum up any charges against him, what is Australia gonna do? Are they going to throw him out when they have no legal reason to dump him? Are they going to let him stay and live off all his ill-gotten gains?

Who was the idiot who processed Thaksin's visa?

Thaksin Strikes Back

Que music from "The Empire Strike Back."

Old square face is back. Here also.
The imbeciles in uniform took away his diplomatic passport and dragged his spoiled worthless children in front of the Auditor General to be deposed. Now Thaksin, who, for a Thai, has balls the size of elephant turds is not taking this abuse lying down.

You see, in Thailand, he had the biggest Chinks in business kow tow at his feet, the press was cowed by him, he had bought off the police, the bureaucracy, and the peasantry. He had placed all his cronies, his sychophants and relatives in key positions. He stole billions from the state. He was invincible, untouchable. He had absolute power, like the Emperor in Star Wars. But Bumibol Kenobi, and his rebel forces stopped him in his tracks. Unfortunately, Jedi warriors, General Sonthi and General Surayuth, don't have the public relations expertise of the Emperor and his Thai Rak Thai Army. Obi Wan has a Clone army, but without any capable officers. Thailand needs a rebel force. Where is Luke, Han, Leia, Chewbacca? Damn, the rebel forces could use even a C-3Po running the show. Are there any capable soldiers of taking Thaksin out once and for all and putting Thailand on the right track?

In the meantime, will General Sonthi turn to the Dark Side? For Chrissakes, my man, get some PR talent, find the bombers, and get the South under control. Do you want a repeat of 91?

Help us Obi Wan Kenobi, you are our only hope.