Reconciliation bill 'just for Thaksin's benefit'

Abhisit said if the proposed law was really intended for reconciliation, it deserved widespread support. “But if it is just aimed at whitewashing Thaksin’s wrongdoing, I won’t support it. I saw no reasons why Thai people have to help with the whitewashing.”

Abhisit also said that he did not think the reconciliation law would help tackle the social problems used by Thaksin and his political allies in inciting anti-government protests by the red shirts while the Democrats were ruling the country in 2010. He was referring to the inequality between social classes blamed by the protest leaders for causing the country’s problems. 

The Democrat leader, who was prime minister in the previous government, said Thaksin’s video link last Saturday was likely to be his last if Chalerm could push for passage of the bill. He said it was always the Pheu Thai Party’s first priority to clear Thaksin of all the legal problems against him.

Responding to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s remark that the reconciliation law was a matter for Parliament, Abhisit said he believed the matter was actually a government policy. He said it was a Pheu Thai strategy to keep Yingluck away from the law to avoid accusations of a conflict of interest, as Thaksin is her brother and the law would help her family.

Dr Tul Sitthisomwong, leader of multi-coloured shirt group, yesterday submitted an open letter to the PM to suspend payment of compensation to victims of the 2010 political turmoil or their families. He said compensation should be paid after it was proved that the victims’ deaths or injuries were caused by state officials and that they committed no crimes or acted against officials during the demonstration.