I Will Return To Post Of Prime Minister: Thaksin

[exexpat]

Thaksin is playing the waiting game. It is particularly worrying when the greatest asset is gone but I think the people behind the opposition (Opposed to Thaksin) fully know the implications of a failure and are urgently preparing. Since the opposition has unparalleled resources at their disposal, and history has shown time and again that they always win, my best prediction is that Thaksin hasn't got a chance. Though few other than extreme elite even realize it, this fight is part of a long series of battles with roots well before Bhumibol was born. If Thaksin does get a strong foothold, this may escalate to "unthinkable levels" such that I would advise all farang leave Thailand immediately. I kid you not.

In the meantime, rule of law, security, and even monitoring will be ramped up so much that Thailand won't ever be the same again, happy go lucky is a thing of the past, not unlike the Bush years in the US. Thailand will become a intensely monitored state, cameras will be going up everywhere. This is unfortunate but it is what will happen.

The mass traffic light and traffic ticket scheme was merely a pilot test run of the heavily monitored state that is to come.

Edited February 8, 2009 by exexpat

[KKK]

In my opinion the argument here is not who is the better/smarter polititan but who is the honest one. Toxin may be smarter but he has been proved dishonest. For him to return as PM he will first have to have all charges against him overturned.

What Thailand needs are honest politicians first and from there they can move on to smart and honest ones. Corrupt, and greedy but smart ones should be shown to the exit gate at the airport or the entry gate at a jail.

It is time for this country to stand up and fight against corruption at all levels. Any supporter of Taksin (a convicted criminal) is no better than he is. If this country was to allow Taksin to reenter politics what does that say for the people who re-elected him..are they, too, corrupt or just corruptable?

[brahmburgers]

Thaksin is a rat chewing the ankles of Thailand's legs.

The Thai people voted in majority 3 times for him. Issan folks got their pocket change, and Thaksin's payments paid off for him and his lockstep TRT members - for awhile.

After the 1st shootings of Muslim protesters in the south, Thaksin announced, that from that point on, he would take personal charge of dealing with any protests. Then came the Tak Bai killings - nearly a hundred arrested protesters died via mishandling - stacked like cordwood, for hours in the back of flatbed trucks. Even though he was actively/directly involved in decisions that day, Thaksin took zero responsibility for those deaths. No-one has ever been brought to task for those murders.

Mr. "I'm through with politics" Thaksin should be tried as a criminal at the Hague - for the above-mentioned, and several other crimes against humanity. Thai courts couldn't handle it.

[animatic]

Thaksin's corruption was in numbers of hundreds of millions to billions,

not a small pay package raise to middle management levels.

He did it either by blatently powering through laws for his benifit,

like the Temasek tax dodge two days before he sold the company.

Or by blatantly forcing government bodies against their recommendations

to do his deals internationally. See the forced Myanmar Ex-Im Bank loan, so his company,

Shin Corp, could sell Myanmar cell towers and networks paid for by the THAI people.

Special concessions to his telcom companies to give them a strong advantage.

And his political machine was cobbled together by the most,

easily bought pols in the country particularly the north east.

He used their existing game and made a better offer with his

'questionably earned, unusual large wealth' Newin is just one of many, but higher profile,

he is just another in a generational dynasty, parallel to others up there, and in TRT.

Thaksin Loves Thaksin party, every member gets party favors and a cute hat.

But the boos gets the biggest presents..

To compare the National Legislatures pay raises to Thaksin's level of corruption is ludicrous.

That was just totally small chump change vs raping the government coffers at full steam.

Wow $4,000 a month for being a legislator. Shocking!

Sounds about like Thaksin dinner tab for the month...

If you imagine the Armed forces EVER were actually out of government here, you are living in Candyland.

They just got quiet for a spell, they never left, just laid back while things were relatively quiet.

The result of that was Thaksin running amok....

I believe his obvious mental instability shown during 2006 was the reason he was removed by coup.

That and his co-opting of most of the checks and balances made it impossible to do it by normal means.

Not to say coups are good, but this appeared to be a particularly difficult and worsening situation.

If he comes back to power there will be hel_l to pay.

Edited February 9, 2009 by animatic

[jbowman1993]

Thaksin's corruption was in numbers of hundreds of millions to billions,

not a small pay package raise to middle management levels.

He did it either by blatently powering through laws for his benifit,

like the Temasek tax dodge two days before he sold the company.

Or by blatantly forcing government bodies against their recommendations

to do his deals internationally. See the forced Myanmar Ex-Im Bank loan, so his company,

Shin Corp, could sell Myanmar cell towers and networks paid for by the THAI people.

Special concessions to his telcom companies to give them a strong advantage.

And his political machine was cobbled together by the most,

easily bought pols in the country particularly the north east.

He used their existing game and made a better offer with his

'questionably earned, unusual large wealth' Newin is just one of many, but higher profile,

he is just another in a generational dynasty, parallel to others up there, and in TRT.

Thaksin Loves Thaksin party, every member gets party favors and a cute hat.

But the boos gets the biggest presents..

To compare the National Legislatures pay raises to Thaksin's level of corruption is ludicrous.

That was just totally small chump change vs raping the government coffers at full steam.

Wow $4,000 a month for being a legislator. Shocking!

Sounds about like Thaksin dinner tab for the month...

If you imagine the Armed forces EVER were actually out of government here, you are living in Candyland.

They just got quiet for a spell, they never left, just laid back while things were relatively quiet.

The result of that was Thaksin running amok....

I believe his obvious mental instability shown during 2006 was the reason he was removed by coup.

That and his co-opting of most of the checks and balances made it impossible to do it by normal means.

Not to say coups are good, but this appeared to be a particularly difficult and worsening situation.

If he comes back to power there will be hel_l to pay.

Amen!

[jdinasia]

Yeah, I would drink to if I spent all my time complaining about a 4 year old coup lol

Yeah, how that drink affects memory... the coup was only 2 1/2 years ago, and ended one year ago. It still very much affects the country as it brought the military right back into politics.

Apparently you weren't paying attention to the military before the coup and Thaksin's attempts at maintaining his dictatorship through use of reshuffles etc ...

[geriatrickid]

Mr. Thaksin's reshuffles were an attempt to contain the political sabotage propogated by his opponents. Would you have preferred he imprison or murder his opponents as others had done? He tried to work with the system using peaceful means.

[jdinasia]

Mr. Thaksin's reshuffles were an attempt to contain the political sabotage propogated by his opponents. Would you have preferred he imprison or murder his opponents as others had done? He tried to work with the system using peaceful means.

Maybe I am missing something here ... what Generals were imprisoned or murdered in recent times prior to Thaksin in an attempt to 'contain the political sabotage propogated...'

[justanothercybertosser]

Yeah, I would drink to if I spent all my time complaining about a 4 year old coup lol

Yeah, how that drink affects memory... the coup was only 2 1/2 years ago, and ended one year ago. It still very much affects the country as it brought the military right back into politics.

Apparently you weren't paying attention to the military before the coup and Thaksin's attempts at maintaining his dictatorship through use of reshuffles etc ...

The point here though was that a poster called the coup a "4 year old coup". Which it isn't. I would suggest paying attention to the post i replied to before commenting on something completely unrelated.

Replying to your post. Yes, i was paying attention.

The conundrum here is that in a society that aspires to join the developed world a military has to be under the control of an elected government (though with set limitations what this government is legally allowed to order), and not controlled only by itself and figures that have no constitutional role in controlling the military (as it is now). That can only be achieved by leaders that are to be trusted. In case of Thailand, that leaves very little choice - it is family.

It is of course a very distasteful state to move family members into positions of power. But how else can a be military controlled in a country with a very long history of political interference by the military be brought under control, where the military has only grudgingly given up some of its powers after the '02 massacre, and has since constantly yearned for its previous position?

The situation never was as simple as you try to make it out. Thaksin was authoritarian, but it was no dictatorship. Saying so is a complete exaggeration, used to excuse true dictatorial methods that were employed to get rid of him, and to silence opposition today.

[justanothercybertosser]

Mr. Thaksin's reshuffles were an attempt to contain the political sabotage propogated by his opponents. Would you have preferred he imprison or murder his opponents as others had done? He tried to work with the system using peaceful means.

Maybe I am missing something here ... what Generals were imprisoned or murdered in recent times prior to Thaksin in an attempt to 'contain the political sabotage propogated...'

That is exactly the point.

There were more than a few that should have put in front of a court.

But that cannot happen in an organization that can be described as a state within the state, which the military is.

[jdinasia]

Yeah, I would drink to if I spent all my time complaining about a 4 year old coup lol

Yeah, how that drink affects memory... the coup was only 2 1/2 years ago, and ended one year ago. It still very much affects the country as it brought the military right back into politics.

Apparently you weren't paying attention to the military before the coup and Thaksin's attempts at maintaining his dictatorship through use of reshuffles etc ...

The point here though was that a poster called the coup a "4 year old coup". Which it isn't. I would suggest paying attention to the post i replied to before commenting on something completely unrelated.

Replying to your post. Yes, i was paying attention.

The conundrum here is that in a society that aspires to join the developed world a military has to be under the control of an elected government (though with set limitations what this government is legally allowed to order), and not controlled only by itself and figures that have no constitutional role in controlling the military (as it is now). That can only be achieved by leaders that are to be trusted. In case of Thailand, that leaves very little choice - it is family.

It is of course a very distasteful state to move family members into positions of power. But how else can a be military controlled in a country with a very long history of political interference by the military be brought under control, where the military has only grudgingly given up some of its powers after the '02 massacre, and has since constantly yearned for its previous position?

The situation never was as simple as you try to make it out. Thaksin was authoritarian, but it was no dictatorship. Saying so is a complete exaggeration, used to excuse true dictatorial methods that were employed to get rid of him, and to silence opposition today.

[justanothercybertosser]

Excuse me, i should have formulated my sentence as:

...as it brought the military right back into the forefront of political power.

happy?

[jdinasia]

Excuse me, i should have formulated my sentence as:

...as it brought the military right back into the forefront of political power.

happy?

umm nope .. they have been there the whole time. (otherwise no need to Thakky's reshuffles etc when he thought of himself as elected dictator and future Prez)

[justanothercybertosser]

Excuse me, i should have formulated my sentence as:

...as it brought the military right back into the forefront of political power.

happy?

umm nope .. they have been there the whole time. (otherwise no need to Thakky's reshuffles etc when he thought of himself as elected dictator and future Prez)

Yes, i know. I have said so in my post. Read it again. And then, read up on the definition of "forefront".

[jdinasia]

Scroll up again and see the big print in RED ... then think about it. They were ALWAYS in the forefront. Thaksin thought he could ignore them or push them into the background .. he could do neither and in his hubris brought on a 4+ year political crisis in Thailand. (nobody else did that .. it was all Thaksin!)

[justanothercybertosser]

Scroll up again and see the big print in RED ... then think about it. They were ALWAYS in the forefront. Thaksin thought he could ignore them or push them into the background .. he could do neither and in his hubris brought on a 4+ year political crisis in Thailand. (nobody else did that .. it was all Thaksin!)

Wrong.

Maybe you haven't been here in Thailand during those years, but after the '92 massacre the military has lost much of its previous power, signified by a decreased military budget, as was also reported frequently in the media during those years. If i remember the numbers correctly, the budget went from 13% of GDP down to an all time low under Thaksin of 6%, and went straight after the coup up again to 9%.

Edited February 9, 2009 by justanothercybertosser

[jdinasia]

Scroll up again and see the big print in RED ... then think about it. They were ALWAYS in the forefront. Thaksin thought he could ignore them or push them into the background .. he could do neither and in his hubris brought on a 4+ year political crisis in Thailand. (nobody else did that .. it was all Thaksin!)

Wrong.

Maybe you haven't been here in Thailand during those years, but after the '92 massacre the military has lost much of its previous power, signified by a decreased military budget, as was also reported frequently in the media during those years. If i remember the numbers correctly, the budget went from 13% of GDP down to an all time low under Thaksin of 6%, and went straight after the coup up again to 9%.

What was the budget before Thaksin took power? and at the end of his reign of terror? But they were very much in the forefront of Thai Politics the whole time as anyone that knows Thai politics knows

[Samuian]

...........edited....... Thaksin has introduced some very important changes does neither mean that one is a "Thaksin lover", nor that one is blind to the abuses that happened during his administration.

.........edited.........

Do you mind to list these "important changes", did you mean the change of law so he could get away with a tax free sale of the Shin.Corp packet to Themasek?

The 30 baht scheme? Which caused an exodus of personnel from provincial hospitals and patients had to be send back home, "curing everything with paracetamol"?

The Rubbertreesapling-Scandal?

The Government Rice Procurement Scheme, where loads of tonnes of Rice disappeared?

The failed OTOP Scheme?

The X-Ray machine Scandal?

have I missed some of the "important changes" ahh... The 1.000.000 Baht VIP Card -which is going to be revoked now?

The "war on drugs"?

The "success" of bringing "Peace to the southern regions of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat"?

The Tak Bai incident?

The "Ratchadapisek Scandal"?

Do you mind to help me/the audience here a bit?

the reduction of VoA from 30 days to 15 on overland routes?

Did I miss something?

[ballpoint]

So why wasn't he removed by legitimate means?

This is real question that bugs me more than even Thaksins crimes.

I think removing a Government from office via coupe is a far greater crime than he ever committed.

But seriously, who would have removed them? You seem to forget that just because someone is democratically elected doesn't mean they can walk all over the laws and human rights. Just ask Richard Nixon. In his case, there was an impartial justice department able to make the decision, in Thailand there is no such impartial agency. You also don't seem to realise that in every coup since Prem was PM, the military has handed power back to the people through elections, rather than hang onto it as is usual in other coup affected countries. In fact, Thailands arguably most honest PM, Anand Panyarachun, was installed by the military in order to sort out the country following the overthrow of the Chatichai Choonhaven government. As another poster has said, the army answers to one institution. It doesn't take much of a leap to work out that, in the lack of any civilian agency with the power to police a corrupt government, the military is the chosen method here.

Wrong. Every successful coup since Prem was PM is only two coups. The first one ended with the massacre in May '92. Which i would not exactly call "the military has handed power back to the people through elections". And this coup the military made sure to leave some safe guards for themselves, such as ISOC (responsible, for example, for the recent and ongoing Rohingya scandal) and a amnesty for the coup makers in the constitution.

How to get rid of Thaksin? If the Democrats would have managed to come up with some policies during their years in opposition than maybe they would not have needed military and PAD to get themselves back into power, but would have got there through elections. But they did not have any own policy. They still haven't - the copied Thaksin's dual track economy, and call it now "economic stimulus package".

And as the most corrupt element of Thaksin's government - Newin Chidchob - is now coalition partner of the Democrats, Suthep - Democrat deputy PM - recnetly implicated in a case of votebuying, one can hardly call this government any less corrupt than Thaksin's.

Corruption will not disappear by changing the ruling party, but by dismantling the patronage networks and forcing the army out of politics.

My points were:

It is sometimes necessary to remove a corrupt and/or ruthless government between elections. You seem to be one of these people who think the only thing necessary for a democracy is to hold elections and let the winner do as he likes. Thaksin was having his opponents killed, you may use your blinkered arguments all you like, but it is still a fact. He was also consolidating his power to the point where it was plain to see his intended outcome. The country couldn't afford to wait for more rigged elections, it was in danger of being torn apart.

The military answers to one institution. You and I know what that institution is, it is clearly using the military to show its dissatisfaction. That's all I'll say about it, but you need to think carefully about what you are advocating.

[ballpoint]

...........edited....... Thaksin has introduced some very important changes does neither mean that one is a "Thaksin lover", nor that one is blind to the abuses that happened during his administration.

.........edited.........

Do you mind to list these "important changes", did you mean the change of law so he could get away with a tax free sale of the Shin.Corp packet to Themasek?

The 30 baht scheme? Which caused an exodus of personnel from provincial hospitals and patients had to be send back home, "curing everything with paracetamol"?

The Rubbertreesapling-Scandal?

The Government Rice Procurement Scheme, where loads of tonnes of Rice disappeared?

The failed OTOP Scheme?

The X-Ray machine Scandal?

have I missed some of the "important changes" ahh... The 1.000.000 Baht VIP Card -which is going to be revoked now?

The "war on drugs"?

The "success" of bringing "Peace to the southern regions of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat"?

The Tak Bai incident?

The "Ratchadapisek Scandal"?

Do you mind to help me/the audience here a bit?

the reduction of VoA from 30 days to 15 on overland routes?

Did I miss something?

Precisely. The whole meat of his argument is that Thaksin introduced some important changes. We're all still waiting for him to make them up.

[Socratis]

every taxi driver, shopkeeper, massage therapist and all other people I talk in bangkok would like to see taksin's come back - so he is better than the other lot

Man, you've been hanging around with the wrong type of people in Thailand.

[jdinasia]

every taxi driver, shopkeeper, massage therapist and all other people I talk in bangkok would like to see taksin's come back - so he is better than the other lot

Man, you've been hanging around with the wrong type of people in Thailand.

Nah --- they meant what they said ... they want "Taksin's" come back not "Thaksin's"

[Samuian]

...........edited....... Thaksin has introduced some very important changes does neither mean that one is a "Thaksin lover", nor that one is blind to the abuses that happened during his administration.

.........edited.........

Do you mind to list these "important changes", did you mean the change of law so he could get away with a tax free sale of the Shin.Corp packet to Themasek?

The 30 baht scheme? Which caused an exodus of personnel from provincial hospitals and patients had to be send back home, "curing everything with paracetamol"?

The Rubbertreesapling-Scandal?

The Government Rice Procurement Scheme, where loads of tonnes of Rice disappeared?

The failed OTOP Scheme?

The X-Ray machine Scandal?

have I missed some of the "important changes" ahh... The 1.000.000 Baht VIP Card -which is going to be revoked now?

The "war on drugs"?

The "success" of bringing "Peace to the southern regions of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat"?

The Tak Bai incident?

The "Ratchadapisek Scandal"?

Do you mind to help me/the audience here a bit?

the reduction of VoA from 30 days to 15 on overland routes?

Did I miss something?

Precisely. The whole meat of his argument is that Thaksin introduced some important changes. We're all still waiting for him to make them up.

I am waiting too.....as some argue "he made things better" and "helped the poor" never came across more cynicism then the last statement, pure populist phrases, "just tell 'em I help them and one day they will believe I did"!

...... Thaksin was authoritarian, but it was no dictatorship. Saying so is a complete exaggeration, used to excuse true dictatorial methods that were employed to get rid of him, and to silence opposition today.

Well, another distortion of the facts, as somewhere else you write about that t"the Democrats didn't have a political plan, no agenda"... well because of the "de facto dictatorship" - absolute majority in Parliament, the Opposition when he ruled, had simply no chance, no chance at all, "motion of no confidence" never ever had a chance, was throughout the bench voted out...there simply was no room to move, to make any political maneuver, none!

So a different way had to be found..... the birth of the PAD with Chamlong, whom we've seen on the streets against Suchinda Government in 1992..... and he once was an advisor to TaxSin, as Sondhi was very close to him!

What happened why did they abandon the "savior of the poor and undereducated"?

Because he was such an honest and caring politician?

And TODAY the Opposition is ON the streets, Chalerm is voicing his opposition on an almost daily routine, so far one Minister has resigned, because of the "Rotten Fish Scandal"... what are you trying to imply with your false statements?

Well "justanothercybertosser" we're waiting... clear the grounds, enlighten us!

Edited February 9, 2009 by Samuian

[justanothercybertosser]

And TODAY the Opposition is ON the streets, Chalerm is voicing his opposition on an almost daily routine, so far one Minister has resigned, because of the "Rotten Fish Scandal"... what are you trying to imply with your false statements?

Well "justanothercybertosser" we're waiting... clear the grounds, enlighten us!

I am not going into a nitpicking debate.

The 30 baht scheme was an important introduction. It was not perfect, it needed improvements, it had problems in implementation, but it was the first universal health scheme that Thailand had, and far better than what was there before. Even the Democrats stated so on numerous occasions. Google it, if you don't take my word for it.

There are also studies available that support my point, such as "Assessment of People’s Views of Thailand’s Universal Coverage (UC): A Field Survey in Thangkwang Subdistrict, Khonkaen" published in Southeast Asian Studies, Vol. 44, No. 2, September 2006

The revolving loans systems were also an improvement over what was there before - underground money lenders and exorbitant rates of interest. These debts obviously never made it into any statistic, so it is easy to state that these policies increased the average household debt.

Just because pointing out that Thaksin, besides the well documented abuses, made long overdue improvements, does not make me the "Thaksin lover" you try to paint me as. It just makes me a realist.

You though, excuse my french, are a fanatic that uses exageration and sophism in an attempt to make a point that cannot be supported by reasonable argumentation.

And as to silencing of opposition, you have now the first prominent Thai academic living in exile since the dark days of the 70's and 80's - Giles Ungpakorn, whose father died in exile as well:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/0...nd-charged-king

[justanothercybertosser]

The military answers to one institution. You and I know what that institution is, it is clearly using the military to show its dissatisfaction. That's all I'll say about it, but you need to think carefully about what you are advocating.

I would be very careful on speculating on what "that institution" may or may not show.

[ballpoint]

And TODAY the Opposition is ON the streets, Chalerm is voicing his opposition on an almost daily routine, so far one Minister has resigned, because of the "Rotten Fish Scandal"... what are you trying to imply with your false statements?

Well "justanothercybertosser" we're waiting... clear the grounds, enlighten us!

I am not going into a nitpicking debate.

The 30 baht scheme was an important introduction. It was not perfect, it needed improvements, it had problems in implementation, but it was the first universal health scheme that Thailand had, and far better than what was there before. Even the Democrats stated so on numerous occasions. Google it, if you don't take my word for it.

There are also studies available that support my point, such as "Assessment of People's Views of Thailand's Universal Coverage (UC): A Field Survey in Thangkwang Subdistrict, Khonkaen" published in Southeast Asian Studies, Vol. 44, No. 2, September 2006

The revolving loans systems were also an improvement over what was there before - underground money lenders and exorbitant rates of interest. These debts obviously never made it into any statistic, so it is easy to state that these policies increased the average household debt.

Just because pointing out that Thaksin, besides the well documented abuses, made long overdue improvements, does not make me the "Thaksin lover" you try to paint me as. It just makes me a realist.

You though, excuse my french, are a fanatic that uses exageration and sophism in an attempt to make a point that cannot be supported by reasonable argumentation.

And as to silencing of opposition, you have now the first prominent Thai academic living in exile since the dark days of the 70's and 80's - Giles Ungpakorn, whose father died in exile as well:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/0...nd-charged-king

And around we go again. Nothing new stated, more personal abuse handed out.

[jdinasia]

Tosser --- you need to take a closer look at who lives abroad

Not to mention the Thaksinista policies you address above (wasn't the 30 Baht scheme already in the workd BEFORE Thaksin came into power, he just claimed it and butchered it!)

And what other policy did your boy Thaksin do that was good? Buy Votes? Silence opposition through countless lawsuits (and then there are all the extra-judicial murders etc)

Strange that you support the biggest human rights violator in Thaland's recent history as a misunderstood guy!)

[ballpoint]

Tosser --- you need to take a closer look at who lives abroad

Not to mention the Thaksinista policies you address above (wasn't the 30 Baht scheme already in the workd BEFORE Thaksin came into power, he just claimed it and butchered it!)

And what other policy did your boy Thaksin do that was good? Buy Votes? Silence opposition through countless lawsuits (and then there are all the extra-judicial murders etc)

Strange that you support the biggest human rights violator in Thaland's recent history as a misunderstood guy!)

Challenge a Thaksin opponent as to Thaksin's crimes and failures and you'll get a list of facts. Challenge a Thaksin supporter and you get a few vague statements and a lot of abuse.

[justanothercybertosser]

Tosser --- you need to take a closer look at who lives abroad

Not to mention the Thaksinista policies you address above (wasn't the 30 Baht scheme already in the workd BEFORE Thaksin came into power, he just claimed it and butchered it!)

And what other policy did your boy Thaksin do that was good? Buy Votes? Silence opposition through countless lawsuits (and then there are all the extra-judicial murders etc)

Strange that you support the biggest human rights violator in Thaland's recent history as a misunderstood guy!)

Why should i have a closer look at who lives abroad? The article of the Guardian states clearly that Giles Ungpakorn fled into exile.

Can you point out where it states that the 30 Baht scheme was already in the "workd" (whatever that may mean)? Because i have no recollection of the 30 Baht scheme having been in place before.

What i remember is endless statements of intent to one day having to introduce a universal health scheme the same way that successive governments worked on Suvarnabhumi airport for the last decades (and skimmed from budgets for this project).

Vote buying? Hardly an invention of Thaksin, and not solely practiced by him. EC has just implicated deputy Prime Minister Suthep for such an violation. The key kingmaker of Abhisit - Newin, and his friends, who are important part of the present coalition government (which you support) - is banned from politics for 5 years for election law violations.

This though did not stop your boy Abhisit from making a very public hug with Newin.

You have a point with the Human Rights violations. If Thaksin would be prosecuted for those - that would have my full support. I don't see though any Human Rights case Thaksin being prosecuted for. Maybe the side that you support is not overly keen on doing that?

Edited February 9, 2009 by justanothercybertosser

[sriracha john]

Decorations are part of the game, here are Thaksin's (copied from wiki):

• Member (Fifth Class) of The Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand
  
• 1976 - Companion (Fourth Class) of The Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand
  
• 1980 - Companion (Fourth Class) of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant
  
• 1985 - Commander (Third Class) of The Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand
  
• 1994 - Knight Grand Cross (First Class) of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant
  
• 1995 - Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of The Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand
  
• 1996 - Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant
  
• 2001 - Knight Grand Cross (First Class) of the Most Admirable Order of the Direkgunabhorn
  
• 2002 - Knight Grand Commander (Second Class, higher grade) of the Most Illustrious Order of Chula Chom Klao
  

Those Royal Decorations of the convicted criminal fugitive Thaksin are OVERDUE to be returned. He is self-admittedly undeserving of them.

Thaksin willing to return royal decorations

Ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra will likely agree to return all of his royal decorations if required to by law, Government Spokesman Natthawut Saikua said yesterday.

If Thaksin fails to appeal the Supreme Court's guilty verdict and two-year jail sentence against him in the Ratchadaphisek land case, the Knight Grand Commander (Second Class, higher grade) of the Most Illustrious Order of Chula Chom Klao would need to be recalled.

A PM's Office decree endorsed by then-PM Thaksin in August 2005 gives eight criteria for the recalling of royal decorations, including if a person is convicted by the highest court and ordered to serve time in prison.

If Thaksin does not seek a retrial within 30 days, the PM's Office must seek royal approval to demand the royal decorations be returned.

Thaksin has received nine royal decorations, starting with the Member (Fifth Class) of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand in 1974. The highest was the Knight Grand Commander (Second Class, higher grade) of the Most Illustrious Order of Chula Chom Klao, bestowed in 2003.

Edited February 9, 2009 by sriracha john