Thaksin Completes Man City Buyout

[sriracha john]

The Bangkok Post must have read A_Traveller's post:

Human rights group citicises Thaksin

A leading human rights group has written to the Premier League to challenge ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's right to own Manchester City, BBC reports. Human Rights Watch (HRW) claims Thaksin is "a human rights abuser of the worst kind" and should not have passed the League's 'fit and proper person' test. "Under any definition, I don't see how Thaksin can be fit and proper," HRW's Brad Adams told BBC Sport. Thaksin's lawyer, Noppadol Pattama, told BBC Sport that the allegations were completely unfounded. The Premier League has replied to the letter and issued a statement defending the fit and proper person test. "We have very clear rules on the ownership of our clubs," the statement read.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/b...s.php?id=120571

[John K]

I guess the threshold of killing 5001 people has not been reached to be disqualified as fit and proper. When the average Joe is even suspected of anything improper even if he is 100% innocent i.e.: ‘nasty mudslinging divorce accusations’ he could face job loss or other less than pleasant experiences.

Watch out for the recoil on this one because it for sure will come back and knock someone on their ass.

[hammered]

The Bangkok Post must have read A_Traveller's post:

Human rights group citicises Thaksin

A leading human rights group has written to the Premier League to challenge ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's right to own Manchester City, BBC reports. Human Rights Watch (HRW) claims Thaksin is "a human rights abuser of the worst kind" and should not have passed the League's 'fit and proper person' test. "Under any definition, I don't see how Thaksin can be fit and proper," HRW's Brad Adams told BBC Sport. Thaksin's lawyer, Noppadol Pattama, told BBC Sport that the allegations were completely unfounded. The Premier League has replied to the letter and issued a statement defending the fit and proper person test. "We have very clear rules on the ownership of our clubs," the statement read.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/b...s.php?id=120571

A few years ao like him or not Mr. Thaksin looked like he was heading to be a one of SE Asia's leading statesmen PMs. A successor to Mahatir. Now he finds himself not only in exile which can be put down to unneccessary undemocratic prcocedure although Mr. Thaksin must be disappointed in the level of criticism that his erstwhile western allies have made of thsoe who deposed him. However, now he finds himself assailed as a human rights abuser of the worst kind by HRW and Amnesty. These will not go away. Even if he returns to power at some date he will have this label still around his neck. In som ways it is his own actions that now come back to haunt him and cause him more damage than even some Junta could do to him. Instead of sitting as a major Asian statesman with few knowing about the drug war. he now finds himself out of power and making major news in a western country for all the wrong reasons. When eventually his obituary will be written there will no doubt be many events still unseen but already we now know one lareg aprt of his legacy will be the human rights abuses.

[kmart]

Karma is a bitch. Pity he can't censor or intimidate Western media, eh?

[Ricardo]

Clearly an opportunity for Messrs Sue, Grabbitt & Runne to sue for libel, presumably for the traditional sum, of a billion baht or thereabouts.

[Mid]

City say Frank's all right

By David Mcdonnell 01/08/2007

Manchester CITY were last night forced to defend Thaksin Shinawatra's right to own the club after the former Thai Prime Minister was deemed unfit to do so.

Human rights activists have written to the Premier League to question whether Shinawatra is a "fit and proper person" to own City.

snip

Yet a leading City official said: "Dr Thaksin was the first and only Prime Minister of Thailand to be democratically elected twice.

"He was the victim of a coup from a military junta, who are actively pursuing anything they can against him.

"We have total confidence any investigation into him will flounder."

mirror.co.uk

[Plus]

"We have total confidence any investigation into him will flounder."

They should keep that quote on the wall until the day they themselves will try to investigate Thaksin when their love affair turns sour.

[Martin]

"We have total confidence any investigation into him will flounder."

Since Kissinger was never brought to book, this is probably a well-founded confidence.

[Mid]

City owner's begs fans to keep an open mind

From Times OnlineJuly 31, 2007

Thaksin Shinawatra’s legal team have pleaded with Manchester City’s fans not to judge their new owner despite damning allegations over his human rights record during his time at Thailand’s Prime Minister.

Thaksin currently has almost £1 billion in assets frozen by the military government that ousted him from power last year.

[John K]

“City owners begs fans to keep an open mind”

Begs? An interesting choice of words. Does anyone in the UK have any pub chat they can add to this? I am curious what is being said over a pint.

I wonder if they can look you in the eye and say Thaksin is an alright guy.

This is just the start. I thought this thread would die off but apparently it has a lot of milage left.

[Mid]

Thais want Thaksin asset freeze over soccer deal

By Chalathip Thirasoonthrakul

BANGKOK, Aug 1

Thailand's anti-graft body said on Wednesday that former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra may have bought English Premier League soccer club Manchester City with money he had deliberately hidden from the government.

The Asset Examination Committee (AEC), set up by coup leaders after the last year's bloodless putsch, said the money Thaksin used to acquire Manchester City was never mentioned in the asset declarations all Thai politicians have to make.

"The former prime minister has abused his power by concealing his shares and converting them into cash," committee member Kaewsun Atibhodhi told a news conference.

snip

(Reuters)

aless.rulz.org

[Suszzy]

is he really that bad?

what is the truth and what is not?

does anyone know for sure

anyway..man city fans seem happy with him

he's just spent 20m plus on players

[Mid]

City fans promised a taste of Thailand

Thu 02 Aug, 12:16 PM

BANGKOK (Reuters) - New Manchester City owner and former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will lay on a slice of his homeland at Saturday's friendly against Spain's Valencia, with chart-topping singers and authentic eastern cuisine.

Thaksin's Bangkok-based lawyer Noppadon Pattama said 20-year-old Thai R&B singer Saranrat Wisutthithada, who goes under the stage name Lydia, would serenade the Sky Blues faithful during the pre-season clash.

The club's board and players would also be served two signature Thai dishes at a post-match reception: Pad Thai, a fried noodle combination, and Tom Yam Kung, a spicy prawn soup.

"They will have first-hand experience of the delicious taste of Thai food," Noppadon told a news conference.

Noppadon also countered allegations by New York-based Human Rights Watch that Thaksin was unfit to own an English soccer club because of "serious human rights abuses" committed during a 2003 "war on drugs" under his leadership.

"There has never been a proper probe," Noppadon said. "His Excellency has never ordered any official to kill anyone."

snip

uk.eurosport.yahoo.com

his ........ what ?????

[John K]

is he really that bad?

what is the truth and what is not?

does anyone know for sure

anyway..man city fans seem happy with him

he's just spent 20m plus on players

You must be the new kid on the block.

[Plus]

is he really that bad?

what is the truth and what is not?

That's a loaded question.

How about just one single case - the drug war. Thaksin inititated this "policy" and always claimed full credit for its success. Over 2,500 people were killed, not one person arrested, all in a space of three months.

Thaksin cannot be prosecuted under Thai laws as he never ordered anyone to actually kill a drug dealer. If he is ever brought to court it would be a case similar to Rwanda's radio hosts who were prosecuted for encouraging genocide even if they personally never killed anyone.

Human rights groups have collected Thaksin's quotes where he approves of the killings.

Basically it worked like this - local governments compiled long lists of suspected drug dealers and then police went through each and every person and got a confession and a promise not to sell drugs anymore. Those who were found uncooperative ended up being dead. Official version was that fellow drug dealers killed them. Or maybe it was aliens from Mars - both versions are equally implausible. Many of the victims were not connected to the drug trade at all but still were killed, their only crime was being on police lists.

There was a couple, for example, that won the lottery but didn't tell their neighbours about the source of their money. They were blacklisted as being unusually rich and subsequently killed.

The upside was that small time dealers were all but wiped out or got the message, drug problem was solved, if only short term. 95% of Thais supported the policy and many still think that killing a few thousand people without a trial was a fair price to pay.

[Plus]

is he really that bad?

what is the truth and what is not?

That's a loaded question.

How about just one single case - the drug war. Thaksin inititated this "policy" and always claimed full credit for its success. Over 2,500 people were killed, not one person arrested, all in a space of three months.

Thaksin cannot be prosecuted under Thai laws as he never ordered anyone to actually kill a drug dealer. If he is ever brought to court it would be a case similar to Rwanda's radio hosts who were prosecuted for encouraging genocide even if they personally never killed anyone.

Human rights groups have collected Thaksin's quotes where he approves of the killings.

Basically it worked like this - local governments compiled long lists of suspected drug dealers and then police went through each and every person and got a confession and a promise not to sell drugs anymore. Those who were found uncooperative ended up being dead. Official version was that fellow drug dealers killed them. Or maybe it was aliens from Mars - both versions are equally implausible. Many of the victims were not connected to the drug trade at all but still were killed, their only crime was being on police lists.

There was a couple, for example, that won the lottery but didn't tell their neighbours about the source of their money. They were blacklisted as being unusually rich and subsequently killed.

The upside was that small time dealers were all but wiped out or got the message, drug problem was solved, if only short term. 95% of Thais supported the policy and many still think that killing a few thousand people without a trial was a fair price to pay.

[spot]

Manchester CITY were last night forced to defend Thaksin Shinawatra's right to own the club after the former Thai Prime Minister was deemed unfit to do so.

Human rights activists have written to the Premier League to question whether Shinawatra is a "fit and proper person" to own City.

snip

Yet a leading City official said: "Dr Thaksin was the first and only Prime Minister of Thailand to be democratically elected twice.

"He was the victim of a coup from a military junta, who are actively pursuing anything they can against him.

"We have total confidence any investigation into him will flounder."

This is interesting. If the above is true, an English premier league club is openly making dodgy politically statements about Thailand's leadership.

[Mid]

If the above is true, an English premier league club is openly making dodgy politically statements about Thailand's leadership.

[spot]

I still can't believe this was all allowed to happen. The FA is unbelievable.

It doesn't matter if he's right, wrong, guilty, not guilty.... whatever. He's going to cause problems just being around.

[Martin]

"The upside was that small time dealers were all but wiped out or got the message, drug problem was solved, if only short term. 95% of Thais supported the policy and many still think that killing a few thousand people without a trial was a fair price to pay."

If I am wrong, I apologise, but there seems to be an implication there that we Westerners (and especially HRW and Amnesty) take the opposite view; and, of course, we are right and the Thais are wrong, and if the Thais had any sense they would simply hand Thailand over to us Westerners to run it 'properly'.

Maybe we can get to be even more western-centric, but I find it hard to imagine how.

The Thais', and other Easterners', viewpoint is that rough justice beats the breakdown of law and order.

A touch of humility and resolve to live and let-live amongst Westerners wouldn't come amiss (and would have resulted in an Iraq that remained as it was, as preferred by the Iraqis).

But, then, I suppose "Western humility" would be some Easterners' epitome of an oxymoron.

But I shouldn't generalise. Cultural differences are not absolute.

Westerners don't all think the same, as evidenced by Manchester City fans making a different judgment on Thaksin from HRW and Amnesty.

And some Westerners are never heard to disapprove of Asian countries applying the death penalty to drug smugglers.

Interestingly, it is not just Manchester City fans and the majority of Easterners who don't go along with HRW and Amnesty. Rendition-to-torture and Guatanamo would indicate that there are some Westerners in high office who believe that rough justice beats the breakdown of law and order.

[TomnearCentral]

Thaksin at his best in a 15 Minutes Podcast on the MFC Website

[cubes2]

If I had my way, I would have told him to return to his country of origin and obtain a tourist visa.

That would be fun time.

Cant believe they let him buy up Man City, just goes to prove what football in the uk has become.

[Tony Clifton]

Thaksin: Money used in buying Man City clean

(BangkokPost.com) - Deposed premier Thaksin Shinawatra told Manchester City fans that money he used to buy Manchester City club was legitimate.

"The money I had came from the sale of the assets of my own family's companies, from nowhere else, only this," he said in an exclusive podcast interview posted in the Manchester City website.

"So the allegations in Thailand are politically motivated to justify the junta staging the coup against me -- that's it," he said.

Mr Thaksin and his kin face corruption charges back in Thailand. Assets Scrutiny Committee has frozen more than 60 billion baht of their assets a few months ago. Police ordered him to return to defend charges, but he refused to, claiming that justice system is interfered since the September 19 coup.

Bangkok POst

And yet, in the very same interview, he claims to have made his fortune before entering politics while his assets declarations clearly don't match. He's set up a perimeter of lies to protect himself but has become a prisoner in his own camp.

On another thought, I'd love for a journalist to ask of his opinion on athletes and performance enhancing drugs.

How would he "dispose" of such players? Uneven pitch and new turf patches behind the goals.

[hammered]

If I had my way, I would have told him to return to his country of origin and obtain a tourist visa.

That would be fun time.

Cant believe they let him buy up Man City, just goes to prove what football in the uk has become.

The premier league is mired in controversy right now; dodgy owners, dodgy money, bungs, dodgy agents, a dodgy loan system, a totally boring and predictable but intensely profitable league, a bunch of poor role model stars. Most of it is based around money being number one, which explains why anyone with the cash can buy a club.

[cubes2]

sounds about right

[hammered]

Thaksin: Money used in buying Man City clean

(BangkokPost.com) - Deposed premier Thaksin Shinawatra told Manchester City fans that money he used to buy Manchester City club was legitimate.

"The money I had came from the sale of the assets of my own family's companies, from nowhere else, only this," he said in an exclusive podcast interview posted in the Manchester City website.

"So the allegations in Thailand are politically motivated to justify the junta staging the coup against me -- that's it," he said.

Mr Thaksin and his kin face corruption charges back in Thailand. Assets Scrutiny Committee has frozen more than 60 billion baht of their assets a few months ago. Police ordered him to return to defend charges, but he refused to, claiming that justice system is interfered since the September 19 coup.

Bangkok POst

And yet, in the very same interview, he claims to have made his fortune before entering politics while his assets declarations clearly don't match. He's set up a perimeter of lies to protect himself but has become a prisoner in his own camp.

On another thought, I'd love for a journalist to ask of his opinion on athletes and performance enhancing drugs.

How would he "dispose" of such players? Uneven pitch and new turf patches behind the goals.

Well in all honesty I wouldnt expecty him to exactly say well guv I knocked it all off the Thai tax payer or well me good mates Mr. Berezovsky and Joorbachian, who by the way are totally innocent of all those money laundering charges in Brazil for what their extradition is sought, lent me it, or well i won it on the gee-gees and a slot machine down me local boozer and by the way where can me son get his hand on a tasty ladyboy round these parts.

[Plus]

"The upside was that small time dealers were all but wiped out or got the message, drug problem was solved, if only short term. 95% of Thais supported the policy and many still think that killing a few thousand people without a trial was a fair price to pay."

If I am wrong, I apologise, but there seems to be an implication there that we Westerners (and especially HRW and Amnesty) take the opposite view; and, of course, we are right and the Thais are wrong, and if the Thais had any sense they would simply hand Thailand over to us Westerners to run it 'properly'.

Maybe you should carry this over to the Drug War thread, but generally yes, Westerners think that killing 2,500 people without any sort of trial is a human rights abuse, and they think human lives are too precious to be traded for any kind of benefits, and they have every right to raise a stink when Thaksin is buying a business in England.

Live is cheap in Thailand - that is a fact, not an opinion and not a judgement.

[mrbojangles]

For info, this the Premier league's fit and proper test and this is what Thaksin AND Abbramovitch have passed. Whether you agree with it or not is upto you but it is what it is and he passed it.

DISQUALIFYING EVENTS:

A person shall be disqualified from acting as a director and no club shall be permitted to have any person acting as a director of that club if:

Either directly or indirectly he is involved in or has any power to determine or influence the management or administration of another club or Football League club

Either directly or indirectly he holds or acquires any Significant Interest in a club while he either directly or indirectly holds any interest in any class of shares of another club

He becomes prohibited by law from being a director

He is convicted on indictment of an offence set out in the Appendix 12 Schedule of Offences or he is convicted of a like offence by a competent court having jurisdiction outside England and Wales

He makes an Individual Voluntary Arrangement or becomes the subject of an Interim Bankruptcy Restriction Order, a Bankruptcy Restriction Order or a Bankruptcy Order

He is a director of a club which, while he has been a director of it, has suffered two or more unconnected events of insolvency

He has been a director of two or more clubs or clubs each of which, while he has been a director of them, has suffered an Event of Insolvency.

SCHEDULE OF OFFENCES:

Conspiracy to defraud: Criminal Justice Act 1987, section 12

Conspiracy to defraud: Common Law

Corrupt transactions with (public) agents, corruptly accepting consideration: Prevention of Corruption Act 1906, section 1

Insider dealing: Criminal Justice Act 1993, sections 52 and 61

Public servant soliciting or accepting a gift: Public Bodies (Corrupt Practices) Act 1889, section 1

Theft: Theft Act 1968, section 1

Obtaining by deception: Theft Act 1968, section 15

Obtaining a money transfer by deception: Theft Act 1968, section 15A + B

Obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception: Theft Act 1968, section 16

False accounting: Theft Act 1968, section 17

False statements by Company Directors: Theft Act 1968, section 19

Suppression of (company) documents: Theft Act 1968, section 20

Retaining a wrongful credit: Theft Act 1968, section 24A

Obtaining services by deception: Theft Act 1978, section 1

Evasion of liability by deception: Theft Act 1978, section 2

Cheating the Public Revenue/Making false statements tending to defraud the public revenue: Common Law

Punishment for fraudulent training: Companies Act 1985, section 458

Penalty for fraudulent evasion of duty etc: Customs & Excise Management Act 1979, section 170

Fraudulent evasion of VAT: Value Added Tax Act 1994 section 72

Person subject to a Banning order (as defined) : Football (Disorder) Act 2000, Schedule 1

Forgery: Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981, section 1

Copying a false instrument : Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981, section 2

Using a false instrument: Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981, section 3

Using a copy of a false instrument: Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981, section 4

Cheating the Public Revenue/ Making false statements tending to defraud the public revenue: Common Law

Punishment for fraudulent training: Companies Act 1985, section 458

Penalty for fraudulent evasion of duty etc: Customs & Excise Management Act 1979, section 170

Fraudulent evasion of VAT: Value Added Tax Act 1994, section 72

Person subject to a Banning order (as defined): Football (Disorder) Act 2000, Schedule 1

Forgery: Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981, section 1

Copying a false instrument: Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981, section 2

Using a false instrument: Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981, section 3

Using a copy of a false instrument: Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981, section 4

[Mid]

Thai blues party time

Dianne Bourne

3/ 8/2007

MANCHESTER crooner Cole Page was only too happy to receive the call from new Manchester City chairman Thaksin Shinawatra to perform at the free concert he is staging in the city centre tomorrow.

And I hear Shinawatra - whose nickname is "Frank", also has a penchant for the music of his Rat Pack namesake.

Cole tells me: "I've been asked to sing Frank Sinatra's My Way, as I've been told it is Dr Shinawatra's favourite song."

snip

manchestereveningnews.co.uk

[hammered]

Thai blues party time

Dianne Bourne

3/ 8/2007

MANCHESTER crooner Cole Page was only too happy to receive the call from new Manchester City chairman Thaksin Shinawatra to perform at the free concert he is staging in the city centre tomorrow.

And I hear Shinawatra - whose nickname is "Frank", also has a penchant for the music of his Rat Pack namesake.

Cole tells me: "I've been asked to sing Frank Sinatra's My Way, as I've been told it is Dr Shinawatra's favourite song."

snip

manchestereveningnews.co.uk

I have visions of Dr. Sinatra replcing Sid Vicious in the Great Rock and Roll Swindle in the finale of death to a punk version of the said song.