Thaksin's Interview with Time

Time

Hannah Beech

Last time you spoke with TIME in January 2007, you said you were finished with politics and that you would retire. What changed?

[My political opponents] have been bullying me politically nonstop since then. I already declared that I wanted to retire. I wanted to spend my life with my family. But they were bullying me. The rule of law is not there [in Thailand]. The democratic process is not there. That is too much. All of my supporters urged me: 'you have to come and fight back politically.' They want [Thailand] to come back to a mature democracy.

But some would argue that your return to politics would make it more difficult to heal the divisions in Thai society.

I have to give moral support to my supporters. If I'm not going to fight anymore, that might hurt the feelings of my supporters. They are fighting for democracy. They are fighting for the rule of law. They are beyond just me.

So you are definitely planning a political comeback?

I don't have to come back politically, but I would like to do something that will help the people of Thailand. There must be a process under which I can come back. I want to come back to clear the chaos in Thailand, the civil war in Thailand. I want Thailand to be a peaceful country. If it's not necessary, then I will not run. But if it's necessary for the good of the country, then I'll do it. If [current Thai Prime Minister] Abhisit Vejjajiva can solve the problems, and the people support him, then that's fine.

How do you propose to clear the political air in Thailand?

If we don't settle the differences between the two sides, there's no way that Thailand can move forward. This mess has been there for almost three years. They have to start all over. Every party has to bury their hatchets.

Last year, the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) staged massive protests and besieged Bangkok's international airport for a week. They accused the then-government of being your puppet and vowed to protest until that government fell. In the end, the court ruled that the ruling party had committed electoral fraud, and the government was forced out of office. What is your analysis of what happened?

The whole world condemned what happened with the PAD taking over the airport. It was really a quiet coup supported by the military. Many military officials were there, supporting the [PAD members, who wore] yellow shirts. That was made clear when the government instructed the military to clear the airport and the military was reluctant. They were part of it. This was really a coup. So that's the reason why [my supporters, who wear] red shirts are not happy about it. If we are a mature democracy under rule of law, these things will not happen. Those who violated the law must be prosecuted.

But wouldn't forgetting the past mean not prosecuting the PAD?

If we are to drop the charges, it has to be done on both sides, not just on one side.

Prominent scholars from around the world recently came together to criticize the way in which Thailand's lèse-majesté laws have been used to charge or jail several people, including an academic and a foreigner. What is your opinion of what has happened?

The laws have been there for many years. It was not that serious until now. They use the words 'loyal' or 'not loyal' to the monarchy as a tool to fight for power. That is bad for the monarchy and it's bad for Thailand. We should not allow this to happen. The law's intention is just to protect the monarchy. But now it's used to manipulate power. We have to redefine the law and not allow this much discretion.

Could Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej step in and comment on the laws?

The Thais should not comment on what the King should do.

Prime Minister Abhisit has urged other nations to start extradition processes against you because of a conflict-of-interest conviction you received last year. How do you feel about this?

Abhisit knows that [the conviction against me] happened because the military junta appointed [to the court] those who are clearly against me. [Abhisit] is a democratic man; he should not comment in this manner. The way he acts is purely political.

What do you think Abhisit can do to help relieve the political tensions in Thailand?

I don't think that he can do [anything] because he enjoys the power that was handed to him by the PAD and the military. Otherwise he would have to go through elections, and he will not get enough support.

So you think the Pheu Thai party, which supports you, has enough popularity to win an election?

Pheu Thai has to find prominent party leaders that can solve the problems of the country now. If we can find those types of people, then we can win. There are many good people in Thailand but we have to recruit them. It's very difficult because of what happened to me. The ones who are willing to do hard work for the country are really reluctant. Those people who are good, they are probably not interested.

Will an election heal the country?

The longer that you leave it like this, the more divisions there will be. They have to settle it quickly, especially if they are sincerely loyal to the King. The word "loyalty" has been used as an excuse to acquire power. We have to ask those who are behind the divisiveness to stop meddling into the system. When I was in power, there was a meeting in one house on Sukhumvit [Road in Bangkok] and one of the attendees revealed to me--and I have the tapes of what happened--that the meeting was about getting rid of me, by assassinating me or getting rid of me through politics or through the courts. I know who these people are. I'm thinking of naming names, but I'm afraid that may make the whole situation worse. I have to be extremely cautious. I have to bite my tongue and taste my own blood.

Thaksin being Thaksin. He is a bit disingenuous about the lese majeste part, because he used that tool against his enemies. Ironically, the Democrats are doing the same thing, so I guess nobody is morally superior when it comes to abusing the lese majeste law.

The bit I enjoyed the most is the last part. Thaksin has a nuclear option of exposing all his enemies, he knows where all the bodies are buried, and, if push comes to shove, that is his ace in the hole.


I don't know how he can come back, for now. His best option is to lay low and wait for Abhisit and the Democrats to self-destruct, which they seem to be doing on there own, even with the media, the courts and military on their side. The economy is in such bad shape Thaksin might be able to pull his knight in shining armor routine like he did after the last economic crisis. The only way I can see Abhisit surviving is if the economy miraculously rebounds within 6 months-- at the latest, which I doubt will happen.

Thaksin's Hi-Thaksin.net You Tube Clip

Asia Times: Was Thaksin's Rural Support Nothing But An Illusion?

ASIA HAND

Sounding out Thaksin's rural legacy

By Shawn W Crispin

CHIANG MAI, Thailand - Ousted Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra hails from the northern province of Chiang Mai, part of the rural heartland where his grassroots political support is supposed to run deepest. Yet six months after the populist leader was toppled in a bloodless military coup, all is calm on the former premier's home front.

Much has been made of Thaksin's strong rural support base, which catapulted him to resounding electoral victories in 2001 and 2005. After seizing power last September, the Thai military
initially fretted that Thaksin loyalists, which they then vaguely referred to as "undercurrents", would try to stir unrest in protest against his removal. The junta has harassed a handful of top Thaksin aides, but to date it has maintained a loose security policy toward the country's northern provinces.

There is perhaps no better gauge of rural Thai sentiment than the news and views expressed on independently run community radio stations. Asia Times Online recently took the pulse of nearly 20 different community and commercial radio stations across northern Thailand, several of which previously broadcast news that favored Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai political party.

Since the coup, stations have almost unanimously changed their tune, shifting from pro-Thaksin to pro-junta commentary. To be sure, part of that shift can be attributed to the ruling junta's initial order to broadcast news that promotes national unity. But after an initial meeting with all station managers at regional army headquarters last September, enforcement of the military's vague guidelines has been slack - if not non-existent.

There is no visible military presence in Chiang Mai city and in provincial areas barring the provincial airport. And few if any of the northern region's more than 1,000 community radio stations, which generally cater to about 20-25 different villages each, have opted to close down in protest. Moreover, anonymous call-in radio programs, which were banned for a few days directly after the coup, are on-air again.

Nearly all of the station managers who spoke with Asia Times Online said callers seldom if ever spoke critically of the interim military government's performance, nor did they yearn for Thaksin's return to power. The lack of grassroots complaints about the coup through community radio's anonymous interactive channel sends a complicated signal about Thaksin's rural legacy - as, too, does the rural grassroots' apparent easy acquiescence and acceptance of the abrupt transition from democratic to military rule.

To be sure, Thaksin's well-marketed populist policies, including a cheap-health-care program, a revolving development fund for most of the country's 77,000 villages, and other populist handouts, were well received by many rural voters. Liberal academics have argued that those well-targeted policies sparked a new political consciousness in Thailand's countryside, where rural voters are now more demanding of both their local and national representatives. Those populist policies, however, represented only one small part of Thaksin's larger political strategy toward the grassroots.

Continued


I think this is an interesting article. I don't know if I agree with it. Crispin is arguing that the rural population's support of Thaksin was based on a traditional patron-client relationship.

Put simply, Thaksin provided the goodies; in return, he got political backing. And now that the big patron is gone, the rural folks are going back to their traditional masters, the royalists and the military.

From my own experience talking with the Thaksin supporters, some of whom I got in nasty arguments with, they supported Thaksin not because he gave them something, but because he made the effort to reach out to the rural poor and actually initiated policies for them. They also liked that he was a strong leader and a go-getter who made things happen.

I never liked Thaksin. But I always wanted to know why people did. I don't think his support was always about money and goodies. Many admired him for his leadership and his can do attitude, which is a sorely missing trait in most Thai politicians.

Nevertheless, I understand Crispin's article. When it comes to politics, Thais are fickle. If Thaksin is out of sight, he is out of mind. If there is a political void, it will be filled by some other politician(s) who can take on the patron role.

The Nation: Police Cook Up Phony, Insignificent Lese Majeste Charges Against Thaksin

SIX MONTHS AFTER COUP

The Nation


Police probe six cases of lese majeste against ousted premier

Police are investigating on six cases of lese majeste against deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, one of which was his interview with CNN in Singapore early this year, Police Chief Pol Gen Seripisut Temiyavej said Tuesday.

Three of the cases were already put forward for consideration to the public prosecutors.

First was when Thaksin talked to a group of taxi drivers on December 5, 2005, second was when he said in his weekly radio talk and when flags with "Long Live the King" were used to receive his visit.

Public prosecutors have asked police to collect and provide more evidences on the cases.

Police still investigated other cases, one of which was Thaksin's interview with CNN in Singapore early this year, Seripisut said.

The police chief was speaking in a press conference to report police's works during six months after the military junta seized the power from Thaksin.

If these are the reasons for the coup, then Lord Buddha help us all. Democracy in Thailand really is doomed.

Thaksin Hi-Thaksin.net You Tube Clip

Download from URL here

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?

Authoritarian China Backs Thai Military Junta Over Keeping Thaksin Quiet in Exile

China promises not to allow Thaksin attack Thailand

China will not allow deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to use its territory as a launch pad to attack Thailand and Thai citizens, Chinese ambassador to Bangkok Zhang Jiuhuan said Tuesday.

"As an alliance, China will not allow anybody to use our territory to oppose Thailand and Thai citizens. China will not interfere domestic affairs of any countries," Zhang told Nation Channel.

Notice how the word Thaksin is missing from this statement.

The programme will be aired on Siam This Morning on Channel 5 at 6:15am Wednesday.

Thaksin was ousted by a military coup in September but remains worrisome for the people in power in Bangkok as he continue with his relentless attacks against the government from various cities around the world.

Relentless attacks? More Nation propaganda bullshit.

Thaksin is reportedly in the process of setting up a China-based satellite television network to sustain his assault against the government.

The Council for National Security (CNS) was irked by Thaksin's latest interview, which appeared in a recent edition of Time magazine's Asia edition in which he made a reference to the monarchy. Thaksin told Time that the Thai people threw their support behind the coup after it was endorsed by HM the King.

Local media portrayed the comment as an offensive remark to the monarchy.

The junta accused Thaksin of trying to link the monarchy to the coup, an allegation that they consistently denied.

Every government since His Majesty the King ascended the throne has been "endorsed" by him in one way or another. Where else does the government derive its authority? The coup certainly didn't have democratic mandate. Thailand will never be a democratic country if it continues with the charades and bullshit.

Zhang said however, Chinese authorities were not aware of Thaksin's new plan, said Zhang.

When asked if Beijing would order private sector who run the television to bar Thaksin from broadcasting his message against the junta, the ambassador replied indirectly that China is a sovereign country with full authority to enforce its law.

Now here comes the Chinese bullshit.

Thaksin was overseas when the coup occurred and has not been allowed to return since. He has traveled to UK, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, Japan and Australia to state his case.

More Nation bullshit. In how many countries and how often has Thaksin stated his case?

Talking freely with journalists in those countries, he has insisted he has no intention to return to politics but also expressed confidence that he could win an election if he chose to run.

So what?

The ambassador Zhang said China could not bar Thaksin from entering the China, saying he has the same privilege as other Thai nationals.

"As long as we are unable to reject entry of Thai citizens, we are also unable to bar him from entering China, be it for tourism or else," Zhang said.

"I hope Thai people would understand. We will not allow anybody to spoil relations of the two countries as he has not met any Chinese officials," Zhang said.

Where did the Chinese take bullshit lessons from? Meeting officials and launching media attacks are not the same thing.

Thaksin has already spoiled diplomatic relations between Thailand and Singapore as the citystate allowed him to meet the country's Deputy Prime Minister S. Jayakumar when he was there last month. The military backed government suspended a number of bilateral meetings with Singapore in retaliation.

I love how The Nation blames bad relations between Singapore and Thailand on Thaksin.

Is the military junta and Chinese government babes in arms? It wouldn't be surprising.

The PRC is the biggest sponsor of murderers and thugs(Burma, North Korea) on the planet, and Thailand is certainly within China's traditional sphere of influence.

Thaksin's Lies and Propaganda Tour

Former Thai PM Thaksin: "I'm Calling It Quits"


Thailand: Thaksin's Giant Shadow


Courtesy of Time Magazine

The Nation whines, yet does no heavy lifting

EDITORIAL
Thaksin pulling off greatest trick

Repeated calls to show him the proof of graft are working to his advantage


The Nation staff loves to complain. That is what it does best. But when will it start acting like a real newspaper?

The Nation makes accusation after accusation against Thaksin without any evidence, then gets upset when foreign media outlets report this.

There's always one typical line in every foreign news agency's report on Thaksin Shinawatra that echoes the claim he strives to make every time he gives an interview. It has to do with the "fact" that, for all the accusations of massive corruption under his overthrown government, there has been no "legal evidence" to prove his guilt. This "fact" will become ever more glaring the longer it takes to investigate the numerous graft cases that were allegedly the main motive for the September 19 coup. And sooner or later, a man once deemed one of the most corrupt politicians in modern Thai history could be whitewashed in the eyes of the international community.

Somebody should tell those lazy idiots at The Nation that it is the media's responsibility to uncover the truth. And it is not the foreign media's responsibility to kow tow to the ideology of The Nation staff. If The Nation has evidence, it should produce it rather than wait for the government to spoon feed it.

It is the media's responsibility to investigate corruption.

It is the media's responsibility to check government in a free society.

Anybody with half a brain cell can tell that nobody at The Nation has taken a decent journalism class.

Why hasn't The Nation reported the names of contractors responsible for building the airport, or at least the non-functioning parts of the airport?

Dr. Prasert gives out airport advice

Prasert seeks speedy Don Muang decision



There is an urgent need for the government to shift all domestic air
traffic to Don Muang, immediately fix all the construction flaws and
build two new runways at the troubled Suvarnabhumi Airport, says a
local aviation industry leader. Dr Prasert Prasarttong-Osoth, chief
executive of Bangkok Airways, said problems at Bangkok's new airport
were reaching a critical point.





Dr. Prasert is the guy who owns Bangkok Hospital group and Koh Samui Airport.


Bangkok Hospitals are the most expensive hospitals in Thailand and with horrible service.


He also had a airline and airport monopoly at Koh Samui for many years.


This guy should not be handing out advice to anybody. He is a crook.

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Thaksin and his lies

Thaksin in Japan, calls for constitutional rule

Lie # 1 "Thais have enjoyed democracy and never want to be under a dictatorship or a non-democratic government,'' Mr Thaksin told the Asahi Shimbun newspaper. "They can be patient and tolerate such things to some extent, but not for too long.''

Interpretation: Thaksin destroyed democracy in Thailand with his bullshit, and now he is giving political theory lessons. Thaksin is a compulsive liar. He did everything to undermine the 97 Constitution: he bought votes, he cowed the press, he used his power to enrich himself and his cronies, he filled every institution in Thailand with his family and cronies. This jerk knows nothing about democracy.

Lie #2 "The respect of the rule of law and the justice system (by the international community)" is at stake, Thaksin was quoted as saying. "What international society worries about is that if the government under a coup d'etat abolishes the Constitution, the rule of law will not be observed."

Interpretation: Thaksin is the poster boy for undermining constitutional law and the respect for international norms and values. Thaksin wouldn't know the meaning of the rule of law if it bit him on the ass.

Lie #3 " "I am waiting for the situation to go back to normal, because I want to urge the military government to restore unity to the Thai people," he told the newspaper. "I think I can be useful for the country. I can tell my supporters, 'OK, it's time that we should unite.'"

He claimed that during his premiership he pushed reform, trying to build a democracy that respected the voices of the poor and developed the nation's economy by intensifying competition."

Interpretation: Thaksin is only useful to enriching himself, his family, and his cronies.

Thaksin hates anything that is detrimental to his personal interests. Everything he supposedly did for Thailand he was doing for himself. He did shit for the poor and his policies did nothing to make Thailand competitive. In fact, he was protectionist and made sure the industries he and his cronies owned didn't face outside competition.