Quote:Thaksin will not return to Thailand for vote fraud hearing

BANGKOK: Deposed Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra will not return from exile and appear in court to defend his former party against election fraud charges, a judge said Tuesday.

Judge Krairerk Kasemsant said that Thaksin, who was overthrown in a military coup nearly six months ago, had given written testimony and therefore did not need to do so in person.

"It is not necessary to question him more," Krairerk said. "Questioning him more will not get more facts. Prosecutors seeking the truth can get it from other witnesses."

The Constitutional Court is considering whether to disband Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai (TRT) party and its rival Democrat Party over claims of wrongdoing in elections in April last year, which were later nullified by the court.

TRT has been charged with breaking two laws during the elections - illegally financing fringe groups to contest the elections in a bid to boost the polls' credibility, and misusing the supposedly independent Election Commission.

The Constitutional Court did not release Thaksin's full statement, but Krairerk said the billionaire businessman-turned-politician denied that his party had hired fringe groups to run in the polls.

Prosecutors said they might appeal the court's decision not to call Thaksin as a witness.

"Prosecutors will discuss further before deciding whether to follow the court's decision or ask for a review," prosecutor Attaphol Yaisawang said.

Thaksin was in New York when the military toppled his government on September 19 and has remained in exile since, hopping between Europe and Asia.

He resigned as leader of TRT soon after the bloodless putsch.

There had been speculation that Thaksin might defend his former party in court, either in person or by video conference.

But the junta is concerned about his lingering influence, especially in the north, where they believe his return could galvanise anti-coup unrest. - AFP/yy

ChannelNewsAsia March 6, 2007
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KoratCat Wrote:But the junta is concerned about his lingering influence, especially in the north, where they believe his return could galvanise anti-coup unrest. - AFP/yy

Concerned isn't the word I would use, paranoid is more descriptive.

From people (Thai) that i have talked to that did not like Thaksin or the TRT before the coup most would now choose him/TRT if they had a choice over the Junta. This may not be representative everywhere but it's sure interesting and those that were TRT supporters that would not say for fear of repercussions after the coup are now speaking out once again.

I told a few people that I felt by Songkran the junta will be in a make it or break it situation. If they don't get their act together very quickly. You may see civil unrest once again in the streets and that situation will not have a good outcome given the past history of Pro Democracy protests during Military rule.

lukamar Wrote:

KoratCat Wrote:But the junta is concerned about his lingering influence, especially in the north, where they believe his return could galvanise anti-coup unrest. - AFP/yy

Concerned isn't the word I would use, paranoid is more descriptive.

If the current military regime, (and I hesitate to call it a government), put as much effort into unifying the country as they have into vilifying Thaksin, perhaps there could be some hope of long term political consensus across the country. As it stands now the current military regime is so blatantly biast and oppressive against the wishes of the majority of voters in the country that the only way they can bring about political change is to stage elections under the oppression of strong political censorship and martial law. Not really the way to free and fair democratic elections. Even the poor farmers up in Issarn recognize that the political situation is being manipulated to get the desired result, rather than to let free public debate develop.

With the military writing the new constitution (call that EDITING the new constitution), everyone knows that any new government under the guise of democracy will simply be a defacto government ruled by old guard military and the moneyed elite ruling class.

If Thailand is ever to become a true democracy, the government of the day will need to bring the military to heel as every other modern working democracy has done. That's a big ask at the moment in a place like Thailand considering their long history of recurrent military coups.