Updated: Save Democrats and Kill Thaksin

The story of the investigation into the big 258 million baht donation to the Democrat Party from TPI has not been particularly big news, with a report here and there. That is until the the Election Commission secretary-general “said the majority of commissioners had earlier decided the case should be referred to the political party registrar…. The registrar is legally allowed to drop a case if he believes it to be groundless.” This is sounding suspiciously like a whitewash of the elite’s beloved Democrat Party.

Could the authorities be so biased? Well, of course they could. There is a need to protect the Democrat Party as it is the parliamentary front for the military and palace against enemy No. 1, Thaksin Shinawatra.

But this story now seems overshadowed by the “Kill Thaksin” allegations where it seems that the Democrat Party-led government has considered permanently taking Thaksin out of the game.

Apparently related to the Thai spy case in Cambodia, Peua Thai Party member and red shirt leader Jatuporn Promphan has claimed that Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya sent a confidential memo to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva “recommending for the elimination of fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra” (The Nation, 18 December 2009: “Jatuporn: MFA’s secret plan to “get rid of” Thaksin”).

It seems that the government is not denying the authenticity of the leaked document. The seemingly always “acting” government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn has merely said that Jatuporn must be held responsible for consequences from his disclosure of classified document of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Bangkok Post, 19 December 2009: “Panithan: Jatuporn must take responsibility”). He added that it would be difficult to track down the official who leaked it.

Meanwhile, Democrat Party spokesman Buranaj Smutharaks chastised Jatuporn for leaking Thai information to the Cambodians. The Democrats seem to think that Hun Sen may have seen the document, which is reported to have also included details of Thai actions against Cambodia,  and that explains his strong stance the Cambodian leader has taken against his Thai counterpart.

Jatuporn claims  the classified document “clearly show that the Minister of Foreign Affairs Kasit Piromya was trying to kill former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra…”.

At the risk of sounding flippant, this is beginning to have a touch of the Saudi gems saga about it, with a cast of big shots that undoubtedly reaches up very high.

Update: As noted above, this spying story and its twists and turns can get rather ridiculous. The Democrats have branded Jatuporn a traitor and the government has said that the document had nothing in it about violence or Thaksin. Jatuporn claims he has more documentation. We at have yet to see a copy of the document, so can only report press statements and stories.

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