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Wednesday January 10, 8:47 PMDeposed Thai PM Thaksin quits politics - lawyer
The announcement by lawyer Noppadon Patama came just hours after coup leaders summoned radio and television broadcasters, all of whom have to rent air time from the government, not to carry any statements from Thaksin. "I want to ask every television channel and every radio station not to broadcast messages or statements of the former prime minister and leaders of the past ruling party," General Winai Phattiyakul told a gathering of 100 media representatives. "If they don't listen, you can kick them out of your station or if you can't use your judgement, I will use mine to help you run your station," Winai said. It was the first time the generals have issued a censorship order since they ousted Thaksin in a bloodless Sept. 19 coup, accusing him of rampant corruption, charges he denies. The order appeared to reflect military concerns that Thaksin was busy undermining the government, but Noppadon denied the billionaire was up to anything. "He has conveyed his message from Hong Kong that he no longer wants to be involved in politics," Noppadon told reporters. "He will not run for the next general election because he doesn't have any more political ambition to be the prime minister again," he said. "Thaksin Shinawatra wants to see national reconciliation." But Noppadon said Thaksin would remain a member of the party he founded, Thai Rak Thai (Thais Love Thais), which faces disbandment on electoral fraud charges. NOT CONVINCED Some analysts said they were not convinced Thaksin meant to withdraw from a political arena he dominated for five years, winning two landslide elections before street protests against him led to political deadlock. "He must be homesick and wants to return home, but not in the very near future," political analyst Sukhum Nualskul said. "The fact that he wants to remain a member of Thai Rak Thai means that he wants his party to be politically active and perhaps return to power again," he said. The coup leaders have said repeatedly they do not want Thaksin to return home anytime soon, fearing his presence could bring his supporters into the streets. But Noppadon said Thaksin, who won elections on the back of massive rural support but faced street protests last year which led to political stalemate, would not come home soon. "His return must not be a cause for any unrest," he said. His announcement came as a foreign ministry spokesman said the government had cancelled diplomatic passports issued to Thaksin and his wife. Losing his diplomatic passport means Thaksin will not be able to call on Thai embassies for special treatment and he will have to travel on an ordinary passport. "In accordance with changing political circumstances and security information, the foreign ministry has cancelled the diplomatic passports of former prime minister Thaksin and his wife," spokesman Kiattikhun Chartprasert told reporters. He announced the move after word leaked that Deputy Foreign Minister Sawanit Kongsiri told a closed-door meeting of the army-appointed parliament that Thaksin's diplomatic status had been cancelled due to his "political activities". (Additional reporting by Kwankamol Posaiyakupta) |
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