Democrats read between lines of Thaksin's 'return' comment
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Ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra's remark to red shirts in Laos that he would return to Thailand in three or four months has political significance, Democrat Party spokesman said yesterday.
Nakhon Si Thammarat MP Thep-thai Senpong said Parliament would start a new ordinary session on August 1 and Pheu Thai MPs may table a Royal amnesty bill to help Thaksin escape being jailed for his offences. He said Thaksin’s three or four month timeframe matched those floated by Deputy PM Chalerm Yoobamrung and Samut Prakan MP Pracha Prasopdi.
Thepthai said he noticed that Thaksin had also shown a softer political stance by offering Privy Council President Prem Tinsulanonda well wishes, even though Thaksin was behind the move of “the downtrodden [phrai] to topple the elite [ammart]”, leading to the unrest in 2010. Thaksin had also once remarked about a man above the Constitution, an “invisible hand”, by which he meant to involve Prem, the MP said.
“Today, Thaksin has turned 360 degrees to make amends with General Prem. So there is a suspicion that he has a hidden political agenda. Since Thaksin has said that he does not see himself as Prem’s opponent, we want to know to who Thaksin was referring when he talked about the ammart,’’ he said.
Thepthai said Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s Songkran wish calling on Thais to forgive and move forward could be interpreted as a political signal intended to help her brother return through an amnesty.
Pheu Thai Party Bangkok MP Jirayu Huangsab said Thaksin’s statement that he would return within the next three or four months did not reflect the party’s intentions, but was a personal view Thaksin had expressed since Samak Sundaravej was premier.
Meanwhile, Deputy Democrat Party spokesman Mallika Boonmetra-kool said she would file a complaint of malfeasance and dereliction of duty against three officials who met Thaksin in Laos and Cambodia, accusing them of failing to arrest Thaksin. The fugitive former PM faces arrest warrants in five cases: the special lottery, the Export-Import Bank’s controversial loans to Burma, the Ratchadaphisek land scandal, the telecom excise-tax conversion and terrorism.
The three officials are Deputy Commerce Minister Poom Sarapol; adviser to the prime minister Suchon Chalicrua; and Witthawat Sriwihok, the Thai ambassador to Laos.
Mallika said she would also ask the party’s legal team to take action against MPs who lined up to pour water on Thaksin during Songkran including Nong Bua Lamphu MP Chaiya Prom-ma, Maha Sarakham MP Yuthapong Charatsathien, Nong Khai MPs Pongpan Sunthornchai, Somkid Ban-thaisong and Chompoo Chanthatong, and Bung Kan MP Cherdpong Rat-pongkhan.
She accused the politicians of demonstrating a lack of conscience by honouring a fugitive. She said their actions had caused public confusion.
She also called on Thaksin to give Thais a Songkran gift by returning to face trial. “He should return tomorrow and not ask any fortune tellers when he can return home, as he said he wants to return to Thailand in style,’’ she said.
Thepthai supported the idea, saying if Thaksin believed in the justice system, he should come back to Thailand to face trial. If he wants an amnesty, Thepthai said, Thaksin must comply with the law and declare that he does not seek the return of Bt46 billion in assets confiscated by the state.
