Democrats accuse Thaksin's adviser of distorting facts

Chavanond said that his party’s legal team was gathering evidence to file a court petition against Foreign Minister Surapong Towichukchaikul for violating the law and the Foreign Ministry’s regulation against returning Thaksin his passport.

He told the press yesterday that there was an arrest warrant out for Thaksin, and that a Supreme Court order had been issued to the Foreign Ministry explaining why the former PM could not be allowed to return to Thailand and a wanted notice had been sent to several countries. 

“I wonder if Noppadon has really got a law degree from Oxford University as he claims. He doesn’t understand simple legal statements. In the past I thought he was just pretending to be stupid, but now I’m convinced that he is not pretending,” Chavanond said.

He said the wanted notice issued by the Foreign Ministry could confirm Thaksin’s status. “This document should be destroyed before someone at the Foreign Ministry sends me a copy. If I get this document, I will have proof that the Foreign Ministry was, in fact, aware of Thaksin’s status,” he said.

Last week, the Foreign Ministry confirmed that Thaksin’s Thai passport, seized by the previous Democrat-led government, had been returned to him. The foreign minister had said earlier that he would make sure Thaksin got his passport back before the New Year. 

The ministry’s confirmation came after Chavanond said that he had learned from unnamed ministry official that the ministry’s computer records about Thaksin being on the black list had been altered so a new passport could be issued for him.

Yesterday, Chavanond also accused Noppadon of lying when he said that Thaksin had not filed an appeal for his passport to be returned. The Democrat spokesman said Foreign Ministry officials had confirmed that Thaksin had filed a petition with the Thai embassy at the United Arab Emirates, where the ex-PM is living on self-imposed exile.

“Noppadon did not mention this fact. He is trying to distort this matter,” Chavanond said.

He went on to counter Noppadon’s accusation that the previous Democrat-led administration had discriminated against Thaksin by cancelling his passport. In the accusation, Noppadon cited the fact that previous governments had not cancelled the passports of other fugitive politicians, like Vatana Asavahame and Somchai Khunplume, who were sentenced for harsher offences.

Chavanond said the Foreign Ministry was acting under a ministry regulation that required the passport of persons who cause damage to the country while overseas be cancelled. 

“Vatana and Somchai were not in that position,” he added.

In response to Noppadon’s remark that Thaksin was using his Montenegrin passport to travel and had no need for a Thai passport, Chavanond responded that the issue was that Thaksin had been returned his passport despite the fact that he had violated the law and ministry regulations. 

“Thaksin seems to have more rights than other people. This is an instance of double standards,” he said.