Thaksin's Open Letter

[thaiwanderer]

Can't see that this has been posted elsewhere here. Make of it what you will.

Thaksin's open Letter

Thu, 16/04/2009 - 07:51 Thaksin Shinnawatra The past few days have been a terrible tragedy for the Kingdom of Thailand, as peaceful pro-democracy protests were met with force, first by state sponsored armed militias, then by the state itself. Well over a hundred protesters suffered injuries, and an unknown number of people have died.

Like all Thais everywhere, I was horrified to watch these events and want to express my sympathies and condolences to all those injured, including those in the security forces. They are our brothers, too, and although I strongly condemn the use of state violence against the Thai people, I also recognize that these foot soldiers were only carrying out orders. The blame must lay squarely with their superiors and with the government.

I have been giving this pro-democracy movement moral support for many weeks now, encouraging the people through video link and phone calls to fight for their democratic rights. In my remarks, I repeatedly emphasized the importance that this pro-democracy movement be peaceful, and that this peoples’ revolution be non-violent. Tens of thousands, indeed hundreds of thousands, of Thais answered that call, rallying peacefully in recent weeks to demand the return of real democracy to Thailand. I have been proud and deeply moved by the commitment of so many Thais to this cause – a call for “democracy for all”.

Those who have joined this movement are not just my supporters. On the contrary, the majority of people who have suffered through sweltering heat and rain showers to make their voices heard have been students, academics, housewives, businesspeople, and even policemen and other civil servants who have decided that the time has come to say no to the politics of intervention by the military. The time has come to reject a political order that repeatedly overturns the will of the people. And the time has come to demand a Thailand where all Thais enjoy the same rights, with equality, liberty and justice for all.

For more than three years now, the political elite groups in Bangkok have gone to extraordinary lengths to consolidate power at the expense of the Thai people, shredding all semblance of democracy in the Kingdom. This privileged class nullified the results of an election; executed and supported a coup; imposed an undemocratic constitution on the country; disbanded political parties (but onlyagainst those associated with me); supported sustained street protests that led to the takeover of government institutions and even the seizure of our nation’s primary airport in order to bring down another democratically elected government; and then supported the military’s intervention to establish the current Abhisit-led government, in what for all intents and purposes was a not-so-silent “silent coup.”

The “red shirt” pro-democracy movement was born of these repeated injustices and will continue to grow until true democracy is returned to all the Thai people. The blatant hypocrisy of this latest round of events, with the Thai military violently suppressing the pro-democracy “red shirt” movement after indulging, and indeed actively encouraging, the pro-aristocracy “yellow shirt” movement’s seizure of government institutions and the nation’s primary airport earlier this year, will only make our people more determined to fight on.

I reiterate my call here to all my fellow Thais that our struggle for democracy must be non violent. We must build the future we seek through the force of our ideas and our principles, and resist all the suppressive and aggressive attempts by the state and state-sponsored thugs to provoke us and incite us to violence. I know well, as do all who participated in the pro-democracy protests, that the bus burnings and other scenes of alleged red-shirted violence were created by the enemies of democracy with the intention of discrediting our movement. It is all too easy to put on red attributes and run amuck in the streets. Rest assured that the Thai people will not be fooled by this. We absolutely reject any form of violence, and reject the efforts of such enemies to tarnish what we stand for, to portray us as a mob, and to legitimize a crackdown on our people.

This is why the courageous leaders of the pro-democracy movement called on the tens of thousands of Thais still gathered outside Government House and elsewhere in the city to stand down on April 14 and return home. Confronted with tanks, thousands of soldiers and armed militias, and faced with the government’s false pretext of restoring law and order, the leadership of the pro-democracy movement rightly assessed that both their people and innocent bystanders would be badly injured and even get slaughtered if they remained on the streets. The leaders’ number one priority was protecting lives, and I commend them for putting the people first. Too many Thais have died in the past at the hands of the state. We must come together now and say “not this time.” This time, we must resist the temptation and provocation to fall back into the pattern of violence and hatred that has poisoned our politics for so long. We must reject the use of force by and on behalf of the state, just as we reject the determination of the Bangkok elites to rob the vast majority of the Thai people of their fundamental rights.

And so, today, we have stepped back from confrontation. But we will not retreat from our pursuit of democracy. If we are stopped, our work will not rest, for the pursuit of democracy is a just cause. In the end, I am confident that the will of the Thai people will prevail.

Thaksin Shinawatra

April 15, 2009

http://www.prachatai.net/english/node/1139

[johna]

If this letter had been co-signed by other defenders of democracy I would it seriously.

Kim Jong-il

Robert Mugabe

Thein Sein

[CelticBhoy]

I wonder who actually writes these things for him . .

Not himself, for sure. Have you heard him speak English!

[skipvice]

I wonder who authored that letter for him ?

[LawnGnome]

April 18, 2009

Dear Mr. Thaksin,

Go F#%^ yourself.

Sincerely,

OptimusPrimeBKK

Edited April 18, 2009 by OptimusPrimeBKK

[Ricardo]

I wonder who authored that letter for him ?

This was my own instant reaction too.

Whoever drafted that letter, from amongst his PR-team or speech-writers, has an excellent command of English.

Hope that they also speak Spanish as well !

[katasyd]

I wonder who authored that letter for him ?

Mr Moon, Thaksin's PR man.

He is a very clever guy.

[yumidesign]

""peacefully my ass! stop lying asshol_e! all of these happened because of you! All you ever care about is money and yourself! I wish you burn in hel_l!""

the above was the first comment on the web site below the letter, which pretty well sums up my feelings too

[fiddlehead]

If he thought it was going to be so peaceful, why take his family out of the country first?

He is working overtime to keep the BS coming. (or his speechwriters)

He certainly didn't sound very profound in the interviews i saw the past few days.

[mc2]

One thing I like about this letter, and Thaksins movement in general is that he is putting a spotlight on and challenging the traditional power structures in Thailand. And he is right - the ruling class is a serious obstacle to democracy.

People have criticized the Reds as politically naive - but lately they are getting the best political education. If the red movement as a whole can fully grasp the implications of what is being suggested to them, they will be much more politically aware than the Yellows. The Yellows just focus on one mans but have blinded themselves to the system as a whole. The ruling class system is a far more serious threat to democracy, and for a peaceful, fair and just society.

Edited April 18, 2009 by mc2

[seri thai]

Can't see that this has been posted elsewhere here. Make of it what you will.

Thaksin's open Letter

Thu, 16/04/2009 - 07:51 Thaksin Shinnawatra The past few days have been a terrible tragedy for the Kingdom of Thailand, as peaceful pro-democracy protests were met with force, first by state sponsored armed militias, then by the state itself. Well over a hundred protesters suffered injuries, and an unknown number of people have died.

Like all Thais everywhere, I was horrified to watch these events and want to express my sympathies and condolences to all those injured, including those in the security forces. They are our brothers, too, and although I strongly condemn the use of state violence against the Thai people, I also recognize that these foot soldiers were only carrying out orders. The blame must lay squarely with their superiors and with the government.

I have been giving this pro-democracy movement moral support for many weeks now, encouraging the people through video link and phone calls to fight for their democratic rights. In my remarks, I repeatedly emphasized the importance that this pro-democracy movement be peaceful, and that this peoples’ revolution be non-violent. Tens of thousands, indeed hundreds of thousands, of Thais answered that call, rallying peacefully in recent weeks to demand the return of real democracy to Thailand. I have been proud and deeply moved by the commitment of so many Thais to this cause – a call for “democracy for all”.

Those who have joined this movement are not just my supporters. On the contrary, the majority of people who have suffered through sweltering heat and rain showers to make their voices heard have been students, academics, housewives, businesspeople, and even policemen and other civil servants who have decided that the time has come to say no to the politics of intervention by the military. The time has come to reject a political order that repeatedly overturns the will of the people. And the time has come to demand a Thailand where all Thais enjoy the same rights, with equality, liberty and justice for all.

For more than three years now, the political elite groups in Bangkok have gone to extraordinary lengths to consolidate power at the expense of the Thai people, shredding all semblance of democracy in the Kingdom. This privileged class nullified the results of an election; executed and supported a coup; imposed an undemocratic constitution on the country; disbanded political parties (but onlyagainst those associated with me); supported sustained street protests that led to the takeover of government institutions and even the seizure of our nation’s primary airport in order to bring down another democratically elected government; and then supported the military’s intervention to establish the current Abhisit-led government, in what for all intents and purposes was a not-so-silent “silent coup.”

The “red shirt” pro-democracy movement was born of these repeated injustices and will continue to grow until true democracy is returned to all the Thai people. The blatant hypocrisy of this latest round of events, with the Thai military violently suppressing the pro-democracy “red shirt” movement after indulging, and indeed actively encouraging, the pro-aristocracy “yellow shirt” movement’s seizure of government institutions and the nation’s primary airport earlier this year, will only make our people more determined to fight on.

I reiterate my call here to all my fellow Thais that our struggle for democracy must be non violent. We must build the future we seek through the force of our ideas and our principles, and resist all the suppressive and aggressive attempts by the state and state-sponsored thugs to provoke us and incite us to violence. I know well, as do all who participated in the pro-democracy protests, that the bus burnings and other scenes of alleged red-shirted violence were created by the enemies of democracy with the intention of discrediting our movement. It is all too easy to put on red attributes and run amuck in the streets. Rest assured that the Thai people will not be fooled by this. We absolutely reject any form of violence, and reject the efforts of such enemies to tarnish what we stand for, to portray us as a mob, and to legitimize a crackdown on our people.

This is why the courageous leaders of the pro-democracy movement called on the tens of thousands of Thais still gathered outside Government House and elsewhere in the city to stand down on April 14 and return home. Confronted with tanks, thousands of soldiers and armed militias, and faced with the government’s false pretext of restoring law and order, the leadership of the pro-democracy movement rightly assessed that both their people and innocent bystanders would be badly injured and even get slaughtered if they remained on the streets. The leaders’ number one priority was protecting lives, and I commend them for putting the people first. Too many Thais have died in the past at the hands of the state. We must come together now and say “not this time.” This time, we must resist the temptation and provocation to fall back into the pattern of violence and hatred that has poisoned our politics for so long. We must reject the use of force by and on behalf of the state, just as we reject the determination of the Bangkok elites to rob the vast majority of the Thai people of their fundamental rights.

And so, today, we have stepped back from confrontation. But we will not retreat from our pursuit of democracy. If we are stopped, our work will not rest, for the pursuit of democracy is a just cause. In the end, I am confident that the will of the Thai people will prevail.

Thaksin Shinawatra P.R. Hiredhack

April 15, 2009

http://www.prachatai.net/english/node/1139

Can someone upload a vomit icon please?

Breathtaking hypocrisy and irony

Nice sentiments, but Thaksin has demonstrated that he is totally unsuitable for the role. Question is-who is?

[BigSnake]

Mr Thaskin, come out come out where ever your are face the music, do your time, then speak your mind

[DP25]

I wonder who authored that letter for him ?

He has Western PR firms that do that stuff for him.

[GungaDin]

I note the absence of the words corrupt and corruption in his little tirade against the non-believers.

Makes one wonder, why!

edit: Please do not repeatedly keep posting his open letter, we do know that it's at the top of the page.

Once is enough.

Thank you.

.

Edited April 18, 2009 by GungaDin

[Samuian]

I wonder who authored that letter for him ?

Mr Moon, Thaksin's PR man.

He is a very clever guy.

"Objection your honor!"

Shrewd!

If he would be a clever man with guts, he wouldn't have written this page full with BS!

[Old Man River]

I wonder who authored that letter for him ?

All politicians have speech writers. It is very rare when they write their own speeches.

I am more wondering who is sending out the Thai language SMS message that threatens if Thaksin doesn't get his THB 76 billion back, Thailand will be destroyed.

This message has hit the cellphones of millions of Thai's globally. My wife has received the same message several times from Thai friends living outside of Thailand.

[sriracha john]

Can't see that this has been posted elsewhere here. Make of it what you will.

Thaksin's open Letter

Thu, 16/04/2009 - 07:51 Thaksin Shinnawatra The past few days have been a terrible tragedy for the Kingdom of Thailand, as peaceful pro-democracy protests were met with force, first by state sponsored armed militias, then by the state itself. Well over a hundred protesters suffered injuries, and an unknown number of people have died.

Like all Thais everywhere, I was horrified to watch these events and want to express my sympathies and condolences to all those injured, including those in the security forces. They are our brothers, too, and although I strongly condemn the use of state violence against the Thai people, I also recognize that these foot soldiers were only carrying out orders. The blame must lay squarely with their superiors and with the government.

I have been giving this pro-democracy movement moral support for many weeks now, encouraging the people through video link and phone calls to fight for their democratic rights. In my remarks, I repeatedly emphasized the importance that this pro-democracy movement be peaceful, and that this peoples’ revolution be non-violent. Tens of thousands, indeed hundreds of thousands, of Thais answered that call, rallying peacefully in recent weeks to demand the return of real democracy to Thailand. I have been proud and deeply moved by the commitment of so many Thais to this cause – a call for “democracy for all”.

Those who have joined this movement are not just my supporters. On the contrary, the majority of people who have suffered through sweltering heat and rain showers to make their voices heard have been students, academics, housewives, businesspeople, and even policemen and other civil servants who have decided that the time has come to say no to the politics of intervention by the military. The time has come to reject a political order that repeatedly overturns the will of the people. And the time has come to demand a Thailand where all Thais enjoy the same rights, with equality, liberty and justice for all.

For more than three years now, the political elite groups in Bangkok have gone to extraordinary lengths to consolidate power at the expense of the Thai people, shredding all semblance of democracy in the Kingdom. This privileged class nullified the results of an election; executed and supported a coup; imposed an undemocratic constitution on the country; disbanded political parties (but onlyagainst those associated with me); supported sustained street protests that led to the takeover of government institutions and even the seizure of our nation’s primary airport in order to bring down another democratically elected government; and then supported the military’s intervention to establish the current Abhisit-led government, in what for all intents and purposes was a not-so-silent “silent coup.”

The “red shirt” pro-democracy movement was born of these repeated injustices and will continue to grow until true democracy is returned to all the Thai people. The blatant hypocrisy of this latest round of events, with the Thai military violently suppressing the pro-democracy “red shirt” movement after indulging, and indeed actively encouraging, the pro-aristocracy “yellow shirt” movement’s seizure of government institutions and the nation’s primary airport earlier this year, will only make our people more determined to fight on.

I reiterate my call here to all my fellow Thais that our struggle for democracy must be non violent. We must build the future we seek through the force of our ideas and our principles, and resist all the suppressive and aggressive attempts by the state and state-sponsored thugs to provoke us and incite us to violence. I know well, as do all who participated in the pro-democracy protests, that the bus burnings and other scenes of alleged red-shirted violence were created by the enemies of democracy with the intention of discrediting our movement. It is all too easy to put on red attributes and run amuck in the streets. Rest assured that the Thai people will not be fooled by this. We absolutely reject any form of violence, and reject the efforts of such enemies to tarnish what we stand for, to portray us as a mob, and to legitimize a crackdown on our people.

This is why the courageous leaders of the pro-democracy movement called on the tens of thousands of Thais still gathered outside Government House and elsewhere in the city to stand down on April 14 and return home. Confronted with tanks, thousands of soldiers and armed militias, and faced with the government’s false pretext of restoring law and order, the leadership of the pro-democracy movement rightly assessed that both their people and innocent bystanders would be badly injured and even get slaughtered if they remained on the streets. The leaders’ number one priority was protecting lives, and I commend them for putting the people first. Too many Thais have died in the past at the hands of the state. We must come together now and say “not this time.” This time, we must resist the temptation and provocation to fall back into the pattern of violence and hatred that has poisoned our politics for so long. We must reject the use of force by and on behalf of the state, just as we reject the determination of the Bangkok elites to rob the vast majority of the Thai people of their fundamental rights.

And so, today, we have stepped back from confrontation. But we will not retreat from our pursuit of democracy. If we are stopped, our work will not rest, for the pursuit of democracy is a just cause. In the end, I am confident that the will of the Thai people will prevail.

Thaksin Shinawatra P.R. Hiredhack

April 15, 2009

http://www.prachatai.net/english/node/1139

Can someone upload a vomit icon please?

Breathtaking hypocrisy and irony

Nice sentiments, but Thaksin has demonstrated that he is totally unsuitable for the role. Question is-who is?

SJ and Thaksin

[Samuian]

One thing I like about this letter, and Thaksins movement in general is that he is putting a spotlight on and challenging the traditional power structures in Thailand. And he is right - the ruling class is a serious obstacle to democracy.

People have criticized the Reds as politically naive - but lately they are getting the best political education. If the red movement as a whole can fully grasp the implications of what is being suggested to them, they will be much more politically aware than the Yellows. The Yellows just focus on one mans but have blinded themselves to the system as a whole. The ruling class system is a far more serious threat to democracy, and for a peaceful, fair and just society.

The Lellow's haven't been back yet... don't you think that from

a independent view they are as human as the Leds?

So if they are, why they shouldn't have at least a similar learning curve?

They BOTH have a rather similar agenda, if only they could find their center and

understand each others grievances... and of course the Leds would have to let go

off their master who keeps ruining it all, same is up to the Lellow's...

It really should all be tackled by the people responsible for this...

the Government - and here we go...

What did the last governments represent - or better whom?

What is he accused of.... what did he do wrong?

Why was he ousted from his post... what was his hidden agenda..

Here we go!

Full Circle - that is why things are as they are!

it's so simple the rest is BS!

Edited April 18, 2009 by Samuian

[hammered]

Well considering the US government condemned the violent actions of his movement this does read in a bizarre way.I note he doesnt sympathise with the residnets of Din Daeng flats who were threatened with having their apartments destroyed with fire by his "freedom fighters".Pure political spin.Interesting to see if the internationalmedia still fall forit. Read Crispins piece on mirrorsand lies etc to get a picture of how Thaksin uses his spin department to create memes

[StreetCowboy]

Why is the Nicaraguan Special Ambassador trying to destabilise Thailand?

Is this a long-running feud between Nicaragua and Thailand?

What are Nicaragua's interests in South East Asia?

Do you think this issue will be raised at the United Nations? I do not think that the Nicaraguans are anyone to lecture others on democracy and human rights...

SC

[parryhandy]

One thing I like about this letter, and Thaksins movement in general is that he is putting a spotlight on and challenging the traditional power structures in Thailand. And he is right - the ruling class is a serious obstacle to democracy.

People have criticized the Reds as politically naive - but lately they are getting the best political education. If the red movement as a whole can fully grasp the implications of what is being suggested to them, they will be much more politically aware than the Yellows. The Yellows just focus on one mans but have blinded themselves to the system as a whole. The ruling class system is a far more serious threat to democracy, and for a peaceful, fair and just society.

Go **** yourself you naive buffoon.Your talking about a man thats abused any authority hes ever BOUGHT , yes bought not earned. If he had got his way he would have made the ruling class look like saints.

As for this letter its well known Thaskin spends millions of dollars with the US spin industry.Imagine one of your beloved red shirts writing a letter like this to the local police chief after being summoned in Thaskins famous WAR On DRUGS ? Reckon it would have stopped them getting a bullet in the head.

The UN is not my father, Democracy is not my goal.... now were to believe this guy represents the last hope for the Thai underclass ? give me a <deleted> break !!

[colinscarr]

Wasn't it Adolf Hitler who said that if you're going to tell a lie, you should tell a big one, or in this case, many big lies?...

Clearly Toxin has studied European history.