Frightened Democrats

One thing has been made especially clear since the (yet to be confirmed by the Electoral Commission) Puea Thai (PT) victory in Sakon Nakhon. That is that the Democrat Party-led government has been stunned and frightened.

This view can be drawn from a review of current headlines. We earlier reported on the renewed actions against red shirt leaders with lesè majesté charges. The political use of lesè majesté charges continues unabated under the Democrat Party and the increasingly invisible and ineffective Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

As the red shirts plan to rally this weekend, the real power in the Democrats, Suthep Taugsuban, has reignited accusations that there is a plot for the violent overthrow of the government by the red shirts, that he calls the Taksin II plan. His source was unnamed intelligence agencies. In the Bangkok Post report (25 June 2009: “Suthep warns of Taksin II plot”), however, “First Army commander Khanit Sapitak, in charge of the Bangkok area, said he had not been given details of the  alleged plot and therefore could not foresee what sort of violence might  occur during the weekend rally.” And he confirmed that the “police had asked for support from soldiers in providing security during the rally.”

Rumours suggest that the so-called plan involved attacking the monarchy as well. PPT observes the ready and continued use of the monarchy for political gain by the Democrat Party.

Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has come out to deny the plot (Bangkok Post, 25 June 2009: “Thaksin ‘maligned’ by plot allegations”), claiming loyalty to the throne and the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) have denied any knowledge of the plan, if it exists (Bangkok Post, 25 June 2009: “UDD ignorant of any Taksin plot”). Jatuporn Promphan, a UDD leader (Bangkok Post, 25 June 2009: “Jatuporn: Taksin 2 plot a fabrication”) “flatly denied speculation that the UDD’s rally at Sanam Luang on Saturday was part of the so-called Taksin 2 plot to topple the government. He said the rally would be peaceful and not protracted.” Jatuporn claimed that the “alleged Taksin 2 plot had been fabricated by those who wished smear the UDD movement as illegitimate…”. Meanwhile, Noppadon Pattama, a legal adviser to Thaksin Shinawatra, said the plot was a figment of the imagination of those opposed to the former prime minister.”

The Democrats seem puzzled by the continuing popularity of Thaksin and the UDD. And frightened.

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