In an earlier post PPT reported that Kasit Piromya, a former PAD speaker and current Democrat Party foreign minister, has expanded efforts to muzzle Thaksin through extradiction arrangements with China and Hong Kong and Dubai.
Kasit is now quoted (The Nation, 30 March 2009: “Kasit vows to spare no efforts to have Thaksin extradited”) as saying “he would fully exercise his authority by all means to bring fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to justice in Thailand.” Muzzling Thaksin also seems an aim: “A group of Thai officials would be dispatched to Dubai next week to inform officials about the Thai government’s concern, as Thaksin regularly used the Gulf state as a base to phone-in and provoke his red- shirted supporters.”
Harking back to his days on the PAD stage, Kasit sets out his opinions in a talk to the Democrat Party:
“I speak frankly, this is a struggle between two ideologies. We want democracy, monarchy and constitution but they [Thaksin's group] don’t,” Kasit told a meeting of the ruling Democrat Party.
“It is not a normal power struggle; it means the future of the institution [monarchy], which has lived with us for hundreds of years,” he told the party’s members.
“It is a great danger. It’s time for us to fight. Let’s ask ourselves what we want to see [happen]. I’m ready for the fighting,” the minister said.
Kasit also comments on Giles Ungapakorn:
Fugitive academic Ji Giles Ungpakorn who is on the run from lese majeste charge has no credibility anymore, he said.
The minister referred to the leftist academic because he understood that Ji, together with Thaksin, championed the changing of Thailand to a republic state.
Members of the Democrat Party at the meeting also questioned Thaksin’s phone-in tactics which are now floating much speculation about who masterminded the 2006 coup.
Thaksin’s comments in recent phone-ins and video links and Kasit’s comments starkly illustrate the political fault lines. Claiming Thaksin is a republican is sure to raise the political temperature considerably and a crackdown cannot be ruled out. Will the Democrats push Abhisit’s “softer line” aside? Could the prime minister be pushed aside?
Not coincidentally, the Bangkok Post (30 March 2009) now has the headline “Confrontation looms” on its webpage that links to “Thaksin pitches ‘all-out’ fight. PAD, Prem supporters threaten to retaliate”. Associated Press has a report on government’s apparently failed attempts to muzzle Thaksin’s calls to supporters. Perhaps this is why Kasit has again become colourful.
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October 22, 2009 at 8:24 am
[...] Foreign Minister is quoted in The Nation:"I speak frankly, this is a struggle between two ideologies. We want democracy, monarchy and [...]
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