'Giant killer' Ruangkrai wants to be Pheu Thai MP

It would not be strange if I was to say that. Red is the colour of the fighting or the colour of the majority of the people. We need to give justice to the red shirts. If you accuse them of protesting violently, the question is why did so many people join them in that case? Some people might say they used violence – by burning gas trucks and closing the streets – that was incomparable to the losses on October 7, 2008. The PAD [People’s Alliance for Democracy] lost one person; that was a big loss. It’s good that people see that it was a big issue. We have to help find the truth. But in May 2010, 91 people including a Japanese [cameraman] died. Those who stepped up for the PAD loss went silent and ignored their standards. 

 

Why do you only scrutinise people on the opposite side of Thaksin?

I haven’t seen the facts of other sides. I didn’t file complaints against some appointed senators. But you have to look back at when I filed complaints against senators who held shares in companies illegally. I filed against all of them. I didn’t discriminate. I didn’t care who they were. Former premier Samak [Sundaravej], former premier Somchai Wongsawat were also on Thaksin’s side. I didn’t care. I also examined [former premiers] Chuan Leekpai and General Surayud Chulanont.

 

How long have you been interested in being an MP?

I have been in politics since I was still studying at university. I assisted former Samakki Tham Party leader Anuwat Wattanapongsiri, who is my uncle. I know politics well. When the military coup seized power from General Chatichai Choonhavan, I was sitting at Government House near the office of Chalerm Yoobamrung. I ran against Newin Chidchob for an MP post in Buri Ram 20 years ago. Politics has been in my veins since I was a kid. 

 

Some people said you follow and attack senators because you want their posts.

I don’t want to be a senator. I want to be an MP. For Thailand, if we want to work on laws, we must be an MP. I have to wait for only one year and I will be eligible to run in an MP election. I am thinking of whether I will run in my hometown Buri Ram, or in Bangkok, or as a party-list MP candidate. It’s up to the party.

 

Which party will you represent?

Many parties have invited me. The Democrat Party sent me a membership application before I ran for senator selection. The party might have seen my contribution. But I will represent Pheu Thai, as it is the party chosen by the majority of the people. They have chosen the party for three eras, from when it was Thai Rak Thai, People Power Party or Pheu Thai. People still chose it. If I join the party, there must be some tuning. My principles must remain the same. It’s not that if I join the party and it will prohibit me from doing anything.

 

Was it because you want to run in an election under this party’s banner that your [accounting] examinations favour this party?

There’s nothing to do with that. It’s not easy to dominate Ruangkrai. Nobody can stop me from attacking anybody. I am watching Yingluck Shinawatra nowadays. If she is wrong, I will scrutinise her. But I haven’t seen anything. If I am already a Pheu Thai MP, I will scrutinise her. It’s okay if they want to expel me from the party. I can play my role in civic politics. I don’t have to be an MP. Wanting to be an MP, I’m not saying I am the clean water that will cleanse polluted water. I only think the polluted water in Parliament can be distilled to become clean water. I don’t plan to oust anybody.

 

Are you close to Thaksin?

I talked to Thaksin only once when he phoned in at a forum event. We talked for quite a long time. But relatively I talked to [Democrat leader] Abhisit [Vejjajiva] more. We talked since he was still a deputy party leader. Ask him what topics I discussed with him via mails and what he discussed with me on the phone. But while you have said an MP must come from a political party, one day you accept voting while MPs were not party members. I cannot accept that. About Thaksin, let the majority decide via a referendum if he should be able to come back. Why are you afraid of the people’s voice?

 

But people will oppose that, saying it is not for the people to decide, but we must follow the justice system.

Where is the justice? Before the military coup, who talked to whom? The man with white hair and a full beard who smoked cigars and a pipe discussed what? Ask your heart. The appointment of the Assets Examination Committee went on without any rage against Thaksin, didn’t it? Answer clearly. Before the committee members’ names were sent to General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, the appointment was conducted at a foundation while people from political parties were also involved. True or not? Please examine. You will see it was not transparent. It was not fair.

 

Do you want to talk about it all? 

I will look up in my diary during the coup time and tell you.