Mentors Posted April 1, 2009 Report Share Posted April 1, 2009 Ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra last night tried to drum up more support for the red-shirt movement and his bid to make a political comeback. He invited all elements of society who want a "real democracy, not a sham one" to come out and join the protest by his supporters. He called on his supporters all over the country to come out in full force to act like a tsunami "to drive away the aristocracy and make Thailand a complete democracy". "We have to mobilise people in full force. We don't need to care anyone any more," he said. He compared his overthrown government to a person who was snatched of his belonging, saying that now it was time to demand for that to be returned. And Thaksin repeated his readiness to come back and lead again. "If you my countrymen tell me to get back to work, I will do it even though it means hard work at the age of 60," he said. "I will return and tackle the problems. I will do magic for you." And he expressed confidence that he could "slip in at any time" although he is wanted by authorities as a fugitive convict in a corruption case. In the meantime, Thaksin insisted that he remained loyal to His Majesty the King, adding that he believed the King did not want to get involved with politics. The fugitive ex-leader said that he had no intention of destroying the institution, as had been alleged by his political enemies. He accused "people around the palace" of plotting the 2006 coup with the military to overthrow his government. He said that those people should not interfere with politics as it was not an intention of His Majesty the King. He repeated his claim that Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda and another royal adviser Surayud Chulanont had interfered with politics. Thaksin was speaking to his red-clad supporters gathering outside Government House. His speech, believed to be broadcast through a video linkup from overseas, began shortly after 8 pm and lasted a little over an hour. He made his speech with the Thai flag in the background and the message "Thailand Needs Change" in the foreground. Thaksin also blamed the ruling Democrat Party for the ongoing political conflict. He said the Democrats failed to follow the rules and gained political power through unusual means, with the help of the military, the People's Alliance for Democracy, and lately the Friends of Newin faction. He criticised the way the government is dealing with the economic problems. While portraying the Democrat-led administration as lacking the efficiency in dealing with the economic crisis, Thaksin gave himself credit for strengthening the Thai economy while he was in power. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2009/04/01/politics/politics_30099370.php interesting that even THE NATION shows his speech: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/specials/nationvdo/showvdo.php?id=2066&name=News&cateid=13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TroyinEwa/Perv Posted April 1, 2009 Report Share Posted April 1, 2009 This guy is mentally unbalanced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted April 1, 2009 Report Share Posted April 1, 2009 << I will do magic for you. >> Framin' at the jim jam, frippin' at the crots, bring me back to power ... with a big fat ZOTZ!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mekong Posted April 1, 2009 Report Share Posted April 1, 2009 This guy is mentally unbalanced. So is Thaksin! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.. Posted April 1, 2009 Report Share Posted April 1, 2009 [color:purple]Thaksin must have thought that after his landslide election victory in 2001, he had fully repaid democracy with his anti-drug war, the Bt30 healthcare scheme for all, the village fund and debt moratorium for farmers, and other programmes. However, he must have also believed that what he had done gave him the right to screw the system. I'm popular with the poor so it's all right to pull the plug on checks and balances. And since I introduced an unprecedented welfare scheme, it's okay to cheat on taxes.[/color] Link Cheers, SD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drogon Posted April 1, 2009 Report Share Posted April 1, 2009 He does really wish for his little private civil war? Because at the moment I don't see where all this crap is heading except soon "calls to clean the corruption and kill the corrupt cockroaches"... Exactly the same crap a genocide propaganda (Belgian) as*** was producing in rwanda... Nobody in Thailand has the guts to stop this guy before he succeeds in starting a big mess? No matter his past deeds, positive or negative, what he is doing now is unacceptable Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mentors Posted April 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2009 Assistant district chief attacked by protesters for wearing yellow An assistant district chief from Phang Nga was nearly lynched by angry protester when he waded through them to the Government House in yellow shirt. Chinnaworn Thanawut, 49 who carried an ID card as the assistant chief of Phang Nga's Muang district, was rescued in time by guards of the Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship when he tried to walk past protesters into the Government House. Several angry protesters ran towards him to attack him but the guards dragged him out. He struggled and fell while being dragged away from the crowd. He was punched once on his face during the tussle. Chinnaworn claimed that he was heading the Government House to lodge a complaint to the prime minister for failing to solve the economic crisis. He said he always wore yellow shirt without taking side in political conflicts and he claimed that he did not know there was a rally outside the Government House. The guards handed him over to police after he refused to change to a red shirt for his safety. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/30099408/Assistant-district-chief-attacked-by-protesters-fo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted April 1, 2009 Report Share Posted April 1, 2009 THE NATION 1 April 2009 Thaksin is a childish, cowardly demon : FM Kasit Says Thaksin a 'demon' for bringing up donations Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya yesterday lashed out at former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, calling him a "demon" and challenging him to a debate in any forum across the world. Admitting the former PM had given him cash in the past, Kasit insisted he had not used any of it on himself; it had gone to local embassy staff or Thai people abroad. The minister called a press conference yesterday at the Foreign Ministry after Thaksin launched a personal attack on Kasit during the phone-in on Monday night. Thaksin accused Kasit of accepting money while he was Thai ambassador to several countries. "The money was something like a donation to local staff. Why would Thaksin want to take money from a monk's alms bowl?" Kasit asked. "Is Thaksin a human or a hungry ghost? I did not count how much he had given me, but I think it was a few hundreds of thousands of baht. If you want it back, I will give you Bt1 million right now," the foreign minister said. "Some of the local embassy staff who took your money have died, so if you want the money back, please go and collect it in hell," Kasit said. The foreign minister said he was once close to Thaksin and admired him because they shared a dream to turn Thailand into a developed country. Kasit was a former adviser to Thaksin but defected saying he could not tolerate Thaksin's corruption and conflicts of interest. "I took to the streets to fight Thaksin but have never attacked him personally," he said. "If you hit me under the belt, I challenge you, Thaksin, for a face off anywhere. "Don't use your lackeys, your street thugs to have a go at me," Kasit said, referring to the Democratic Alliance against Dictatorship rally which has criticised him occasionally. The minister said if Thaksin did not want his Thai passport anymore, he would be happy to go personally and collect it from him. However, Kasit said, he would not exercise his authority to terminate Thaksin's normal Thai passport. The former PM's diplomatic travel document was revoked shortly before Kasit took office three months ago. "It is better if Thaksin returns his Thai citizenship, it would make this country clean," Kasit declared. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
preahko Posted April 1, 2009 Report Share Posted April 1, 2009 "complete democracy," ey? pretty funny coming from the man whom, when he was in power, came right out and said that democracy is not appropriate for Thailand!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mentors Posted April 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2009 Real democracy? Thaksin doesn't know what he's talking about Thaksin Shinawatra was right about one thing - Thailand needs change. Unfortunately, the rest of his rabble-rousing broadcast to his red-shirted supporters over the past few days failed to address the country's real problem: Democracy, the one thing he now so desires, is always treated like a prostitute. "We just want real democracy. Is that too much to ask?" he said over the weekend. Truth is, if Thaksin had understood what "real democracy" meant, he and Thailand would not have been in this situation in the first place. And, contrary to what most people believe, democracy is relatively easy to attain; the difficult part is how not to lose it. Thaksin must have thought that after his landslide election victory in 2001, he had fully repaid democracy with his anti-drug war, the Bt30 healthcare scheme for all, the village fund and debt moratorium for farmers, and other programmes. However, he must have also believed that what he had done gave him the right to screw the system. I'm popular with the poor so it's all right to pull the plug on checks and balances. And since I introduced an unprecedented welfare scheme, it's okay to cheat on taxes. Of course, Thailand's 1997 charter was one of the best, and democracy was apparently flourishing after its enactment. In fact, everything was so rosy during Thaksin's early days that it afforded him the luxury to declare "Democracy is not my goal". Confronted with growing inquiries about the way he got things done at the expense of democratic principles, he did not hesitate to compare democracy to a Rolls-Royce, which can be useless in certain circumstances. He might have been right back then. A Rolls-Royce is not for everyone; it's for perfectionists, because one screw loose and the vehicle can go off the road. In other words, while a dictator can pump money into rural areas and get away with a dozen extrajudicial killings and press intimidation, democracy doesn't allow that kind of compensation. Democracy is a delicate lady who requires high maintenance. An arrogant Thaksin took her for granted and abused her to the point where she was susceptible to the will of the wolves. Now, an angry, desperate Thaksin wants to go back to the woman he scorned. He even vows to fight to the death to repossess her. He is simply using her again, and smartly so. I'm not doing this for me; I'm doing this for us. Look what they've done to you, those elites and military opportunists. I'll make you whole again, and if that means I'll have to die, then so be it. The real motives are Bt76 billion in frozen assets and a jail sentence he wants overturned. Thaksin is not helping democracy; he wants democracy to help him. The best part is, if he succeeds, democracy will owe him a big debt of gratitude. Thailand needs change, Thaksin insists. The country, he claims, must strive for a stronger democracy, like the one that gave the people cheap healthcare, low-interest loans and a successful anti-drug campaign. We used to be great together. Don't tell me you don't miss me. That's Thailand's real problem: democracy is never really understood and it's always taken for granted, even when there is nothing left to take for granted anymore. Thaksin, in his darkest hours, still can't see what went wrong in his relationship with this seemingly simple ideology. He is courting democracy again with the promise that things will return to the same old way before the royalists and generals took her away. In fact, democracy is always strong, but she is cursed by an endless line of wimpy suitors. Her only problem is that she's too accommodating and sometimes she gives people more chances than they deserve. She was gracious enough to ignore the "Democracy is not my goal" slur and endured other abuses. But would she take the ultimate insult and welcome back with open arms someone who until now still didn't know her essence? Real democracy isn't something that is too much to ask. To the likes of Thaksin, real democracy is simply something that will be too much to take. Did he understand what he was asking for? Real democracy would eliminate people like him first before she takes care of the other meddlesome parties. She would have rejected him at the first "Hello", and today he might have been nothing but a convicted fraudster instead of a self-romanticised fighter standing for something whose values he never understands. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2009/04/01/opinion/opinion_30099373.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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