Yellow Shirt Leader Sondhi Claims He Is Targeted For Murder

[webfact]

Yellow shirt leader Sondhi claims he is targeted for murder

BANGKOK, Nov 20 (TNA) - New Politics Party (NPP) leader Sondhi Limthongkul claimed that he is targeted for being killed by a group who fear that his political party will expose corruption, saying that the grenade explosion behind stage at the 'Yellow Shirt' People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) demonstration at Sanam Luang on November 15 proved his point.

Mr Sondhi, 62, a media owner and a top PAD leader, said the M-79 attack during the PAD rally site at Sanam Luang on November 15 was an attempt to kill him as it was aimed at the stage while he addressed PAD from the stage.

He said that his sources confirmed there was an attempt to set up an execution team, a collaboration of many groups who share the goal of killing him.

Mr Sondhi said police, military, political parties with out-of-date thinking or capitalists who backed political parties to enter politics to collect corruption feared that his NPP party would expose the truth, unveiling their corruption.

The PAD demonstration November 15 aimed to show their joint determination to protect the nation's dignity, while expressing their dissatisfaction with recent moves of fugitive, ousted Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.

He also thanked Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva for assigning retired deputy national police chief Pol Gen Thani Somboonsub, deputy secretary general to the prime minister, to supervise the bomb attack case but he believed there would be no progress and that he could not arrest the assailants.

Mr Sondhi, who in April survived a murder attempt, said that in future he will be more careful, and that he would nonetheless retain his political ideology.

Targeted for assassination on the morning of April 17, Mr Sondhi was attacked by gunmen firing M-16 and AK-47 assault rifles who shot out his tyres in busy Bangkok traffic and fired over 100 bullets into his vehicle, wounding both Mr Sondhi and his driver.

The attackers escaped the scene when Mr Sondhi's followers in another car opened fire on them. The then PAD leader suffered one wound to the head.

In early October he was elected leader of the new NPP party, which was founded on June 2.

Starting his career as a journalist, he later founded Manager Daily, a Thai-language broadsheet daily emphasising political and business news as well as satellite broadcaster ASTV. (TNA)

-- TNA 2009/11/20

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[Hardback]

A media tycoon who always seems to keep himself in the news. I'm so tired of this guy's self-serving agenda. It does nothing to advance this country have two opposing sides lead by such ego-centric morons.

Lord save us if this guy even gets a sniff of "official" political power.

Edited November 20, 2009 by Hardback

[BanTamo]

"Right, right, you're bloody well right. You got a bloody right to say."

[hammered]

Mr Sondhi said police, military, political parties with out-of-date thinking or capitalists who backed political parties to enter politics to collect corruption feared that his NPP party would expose the truth, unveiling their corruption.

Wow that certainly is some conspiracy and it seems to include everyone involved in politcs with the possible exception of the PM who he thanks later.

Did anyone ever woirk out who the 4 generals, 1 policeman and politician based outside the country were by the way?

Seriously I dont doubt there are people who want him out of the way.

[hansnl]

A media tycoon who always seems to keep himself in the news. I'm so tired of this guy's self-serving agenda. It does nothing to advance this country have two opposing sides lead by such ego-centric morons.

Lord save us if this guy even gets a sniff of "official" political power.

NEVER TRUST A POLITICIAN, FROM WHATEVER SIDE, FROM WHICHEVER PARTY.

THEY ARE ONLY IN IT FOR EITHER MONEY, POWER OR BOTH.

AND MOST CERTAINLY NOT IN IT FOR YOU, ME OR ANYBODY ELSE BUT THEIR TIGHT CIRCLE.

[Publicus]

Sondhi seriously was targeted before by gunmen using two different kinds of military storm-assault weapons.

A single grenade by comparason actually seems a weak attempt on which to base this claim. Still, if I were Sondhi I'd be careful. There's no question Sondhi has embittered certain people big time, and to think he might blow the whistle on others isn't too much of a stretch either.

[jayjayjayjay]

A media tycoon who always seems to keep himself in the news. I'm so tired of this guy's self-serving agenda. It does nothing to advance this country have two opposing sides lead by such ego-centric morons.

Lord save us if this guy even gets a sniff of "official" political power.

Fortunately he is running out of steam........... unfortunately he is not running out of followers

[jayjayjayjay]

Mr Sondhi said police, military, political parties with out-of-date thinking or capitalists who backed political parties to enter politics to collect corruption feared that his NPP party would expose the truth, unveiling their corruption.

Wow that certainly is some conspiracy and it seems to include everyone involved in politcs with the possible exception of the PM who he thanks later.

Did anyone ever woirk out who the 4 generals, 1 policeman and politician based outside the country were by the way?

Seriously I dont doubt there are people who want him out of the way.

rarely do we agree........ but nicely written piece hammered

[rfukata]

its self serving; what goes around comes around. needless to say, I think sondhi and his occult type followers really

pissed a lot of people off last year during his staging of the airport, govt, closures. It certainly took a toll on Thailand's image

in which these guys have no guilt or resentment about it.

"Mr Sondhi said police, military, political parties with out-of-date thinking or capitalists who backed political parties to enter politics to collect corruption feared that his NPP party would expose the truth, unveiling their corruption".- strange, WHO ISN'T corrupted in Thailand?

[Samuian]

what ever, who ever, why ever ... the best 'n healthy way in a democracy to have a critical opposition!

No matter what is the reason... there is NO excuse for corruption and having basically no check and balance in a government!

Sondhi and some others in the PAD as well as in the UDD are doing the right thing, except that the Reds way too often have to withdraw or correct their biased "critic and revelations"! See the latest "revelations" by Jatuporn about Kasit's "secret phonecall tape" ... ridiculous and they keep repeating these "errors", like their master... his "honest mistakes" - Same print!

[Dpolenz]

That whole shooting was a joke,one hundred shots but still couldnt kill him.And only "one wound to the head"who shot at him Blind People?

[LawnGnome]

That whole shooting was a joke,one hundred shots but still couldnt kill him.And only "one wound to the head"who shot at him Blind People?

Yes, a joke - terribly funny

[givenall]

A media tycoon who always seems to keep himself in the news. I'm so tired of this guy's self-serving agenda. It does nothing to advance this country have two opposing sides lead by such ego-centric morons.

Lord save us if this guy even gets a sniff of "official" political power.

First thing he can do is to expose his own corruption then worry about others

[tw25rw]

"Right, right, you're bloody well right. You got a bloody right to say."

After what I and many others went through last December, I hope he is right.

[zzaa09]

A media tycoon who always seems to keep himself in the news. I'm so tired of this guy's self-serving agenda. It does nothing to advance this country have two opposing sides lead by such ego-centric morons.

Lord save us if this guy even gets a sniff of "official" political power.

NEVER TRUST A POLITICIAN, FROM WHATEVER SIDE, FROM WHICHEVER PARTY.

THEY ARE ONLY IN IT FOR EITHER MONEY, POWER OR BOTH.

AND MOST CERTAINLY NOT IN IT FOR YOU, ME OR ANYBODY ELSE BUT THEIR TIGHT CIRCLE.

This is soundly universal. The very nature at the core of politics.

[lensta]

How could it be an attempt to murder him if he gave the order not to fire it too close to the stage. This is just the same set up as the rifle attack on him in his car. I bet the shooter that actually nicked him in his car got their ass kicked, obviously wasn't the person to fire the grenade.

[Stumbo]

Sondhi, Sondhi, look mate, Taksin stopped helping you with the bank so you did as advised and started the PAD thing to help oust Taksin, good boy. You did it again to oust his puppets when they actually got elected despite all the army's efforts, good boy. But the deal was finally done by the army and co-conspirators to install compliant Abbhisit as PM, so unfortunately your services are no longer required. Starting your own party is going to take votes from the Democrats and sorry but that just isn't on. Pack it in and join Taksin in Cambodia, or else.

Edited November 20, 2009 by Stumbo

[EnhancePlus]

Praise the lord and pass the ammunition. This megalomaniac and his goon squad has been destroying this great country for the last 3 years. Who's payroll is he really on?

Edited November 20, 2009 by EnhancePlus

[londonthai]

if somebody really wanted to kill him they would do it already twice - it was rather staged by himself or by the army to boost his "popularity", the most it was a warning to him.

nobody ever would brag about an assasination attempt, even more so about "execution team", because it would incriminate them.

[webfact]

NOV 15 BOMB ATTACK

Sondhi claims he was the target

Yellow shirt leader Sondhi Limthongkul said Friday that a bomb attack at a yellow shirted protest on November 15 was clearly an attempt to murder him.

Sondhi claimed he was targetted for murder by a group who feared that his political party; New Politics Party, will expose corruption.

"The M-79 attack on November 15 near stage at the rally led People's Alliance for Democracy at Sanam Luang proved my point that I am target of murder," Sondhi said. The attack near the stage where Sondhi was speaking injured five, including two boys.

He quoted his sources as confirming that there was an attempt to set up an execution team, a collaboration of many groups who share the same goal of killing him.

The PAD rally on November 15 was aimed at criticising ousted Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra and Cambodia's PM Hun Sen.

He also thanked Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva for assigning retired deputy national police chief Pol Gen Thani Somboonsub, deputy secretary general to the prime minister, to supervise the bomb attack case.

However he believed there would be no progress and that he could not arrest the assailants.

Sondhi who survived a mafia-styled attack in April said that in future he will be more careful. Police have failed to find the attackers so far.

-- The Nation 2009/11/20

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[Thaihog]

I thought that Sondhi was found guilty 3 or 4 months of libel and sentenced to 2 years in jail...or am I thinking of another PAD leader...

The judicial system in Thailand is a bit of a joke if you've got some money...One rule for the rich and another for the poor...

[way2muchcoffee]

Sondhi, Sondhi, look mate, Taksin stopped helping you with the bank so you did as advised and started the PAD thing to help oust Taksin, good boy. You did it again to oust his puppets when they actually got elected despite all the army's efforts, good boy. But the deal was finally done by the army and co-conspirators to install compliant Abbhisit as PM, so unfortunately your services are no longer required. Starting your own party is going to take votes from the Democrats and sorry but that just isn't on. Pack it in and join Taksin in Cambodia, or else.

Interesting analysis.

[mccw]

That whole shooting was a joke,one hundred shots but still couldnt kill him.And only "one wound to the head"who shot at him Blind People?

Did you see the pictures of his car? looked like they had damned go try. It's amazing he survived it. Some say he got some propper strong magic protecting him, if he was wearing amulate those from that batch must be worth a fortune

[VSteve]

I was at the rally~ thought I heard a gun shot, but my friend kept yelling bomb, bomb! We started to walk away~some guy tried to get though the crowd quickly and was beaten up by mob of people. I saw news crews taking photos and traffic was blocked for the whole thing...didn't hear a thing about it after.