China promises not to allow Thaksin attack Thailand

China will not allow deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to use its territory as a launch pad to attack Thailand and Thai citizens, Chinese ambassador to Bangkok Zhang Jiuhuan said Tuesday.

"As an alliance, China will not allow anybody to use our territory to oppose Thailand and Thai citizens. China will not interfere domestic affairs of any countries," Zhang told Nation Channel.

The programme will be aired on Siam This Morning on Channel 5 at 6:15am Wednesday.

Thaksin was ousted by a military coup in September but remains worrisome for the people in power in Bangkok as he continue with his relentless attacks against the government from various cities around the world.

Thaksin is reportedly in the process of setting up a China-based satellite television network to sustain his assault against the government.

The Council for National Security (CNS) was irked by Thaksin's latest interview, which appeared in a recent edition of Time magazine's Asia edition in which he made a reference to the monarchy. Thaksin told Time that the Thai people threw their support behind the coup after it was endorsed by HM the King.

Local media portrayed the comment as an offensive remark to the monarchy.

The junta accused Thaksin of trying to link the monarchy to the coup, an allegation that they consistently denied.

Zhang said however, Chinese authorities were not aware of Thaksin's new plan, said Zhang.

When asked if Beijing would order private sector who run the television to bar Thaksin from broadcasting his message against the junta, the ambassador replied indirectly that China is a sovereign country with full authority to enforce its law.

Thaksin was overseas when the coup occurred and has not been allowed to return since. He has travelled to UK, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, Japan and Australia to state his case.

Talking freely with journalists in those countries, he has insisted he has no intention to return to politics but also expressed confidence that he could win an election if he chose to run.

The ambassador Zhang said China could not bar Thaksin from entering the China, saying he has the same privilege as other Thai nationals.

"As long as we are unable to reject entry of Thai citizens, we are also unable to bar him from entering China, be it for tourism or else," Zhang said.

"I hope Thai people would understand. We will not allow anybody to spoil relations of the two countries as he has not met any Chinese officials," Zhang said.

Thaksin has already spoiled diplomatic relations between Thailand and Singapore as the citystate allowed him to meet the country's Deputy Prime Minister S. Jayakumar when he was there last month. The military backed government suspended a number of bilateral meetings with Singapore in retaliation.

The Nation