PAD readying for the “final showdown”?

PPT must be sounding a bit alarmist to some readers over the last couple of days. But take a look at PAD and its spokesman and Secretary-General of the New Politics Party, Suriyasai Katasila.

Prachatai (31 December 2009) has an account of an ASTV/Manager report (where else?!) from 30 December 2009 where Suriyasai, like everyone else sees 2010 as a turning point for Thailand when “Thaksin Shinawatra will collaborate with leftists to overthrow the current regime and establish a new one.” This leftist-Thaksin coalition will “likely … use military troops to stage a coup, or use other violent means.”

Suriyasai stated that “Thaksin is preparing for regime change. His target is to change the structure and the law…”. Drawing attention to the seizure of North Korean-sourced weapons Suriyasai stated that his information was that “previously there had been a weapons-smuggling flight into Thailand, but the government dared not speak the truth for fear of a public panic.” So Suriyasai has decided to cause panic?

He adds: “Now weapons have been smuggled across the Cambodian border, and are ready for use by Thaksin. It’s likely that he will use the weapons for political operations, with the target being regime change…”. If these weapons existed, why would they be taken to Cambodia from Thailand? Why fly them into Thailand to take to Cambodia? Okay, it sounds unlikely, but Suriyasai is making a call for the overhaul of “Thailand’s security apparatus … to cope with the threats from Thaksin…”.

PPT thinks that the anti-Thaksin forces are actually aligning their forces for the “final showdown.” If we do indeed seem alarmist it is because Prem, the military, the police and the PAD seemed to be preparing for more than the usual use of the ISA against red shirts if they rally. It is remarkably intimidating.

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