Thaksin Speaks Out on Airport Siege

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The following appears in THE NATION:

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Fugitive Thaksin : Protesters Seizing Airports Must Respect Law

By The Nation

 

Fugitive ex-Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has called for anti-government protesters who seized Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang airports to respect the laws or face legal action.

 

He warned that if they did not respect the law, "law enforcement must be done."

 

Thaksin has been on the run after being sentenced in absentia to two years in jail on corruption charges in Thailand.

 

He was referring to seizing of the airports by protesters led by People's Alliance for Democracy, which reached the fifth day on Saturday.

 

Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, who is Thaksin's brother in law, has issued state of emergency both airports. The move was seen as a tool to allow police to disperse them.

 

"The airports must be reopened and the protesters must respect not only the law, but the citizens of Thailand," Thaksin said. "If no one respects the law, then law enforcement must be done."

 

He also warned that should the military launch a coup, it would be much more bloody than the previously occasions. He also warned the army to stay out of politics, predicting bloodshed if they stage a coup.

 

"If the coup were to happen, there's going to be bloodshed. It's not going to be an easy coup like in the past because the people are in hardship since dictatorship came to Thailand," Thaksin said.

 

Thaksin urged his supporters to "protect democracy": "If you protect Democracy you may be painful for a while, but if you allow dictatorship to take over Thailand you are going to have a nightmare for your whole life."

 

Thaksin said without elaboration, "So-called independent agencies or courts had been mobilised to bias against the government. That's very bad."

 

Thaksin's message to the military: "They are officials whose salary is paid by taxpayer money, so they have to do what is wanted by the whole of the Thai people, not just for minority groups. They must respect Democracy. They must play by the rules. Being neutral means you have to observe the law."

 

Thaksin was speaking to Thomas Crampton, a freelance blogger in a videotaped interview. Crampton said the interview came out when he had coffee with Thaksin. "He spoke passionately about this week's events in Thailand," he wrote.

 

The date and time of the interview was not known. It was posted on Crampton's blog on Friday.

[Guest fountainhall]

I never heard of this Crampton, but I hope he proves his sense of fairness by also interviewing other convicted felons.