Thaksin calls for a revolution...

[manarak]

Ousted Thai PM Shinawatra calls for revolution

AP
Published: April 12, 2009, 18:09

Bangkok: Ousted and exiled Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has called for revolution in Thailand and said he might return to head it.

Police General Vichai Sangparpai has estimated up to 30,000 anti-government protesters are presently scattered around Bangkok.

Most demonstrators regard Shinawatra as their leader,
"Now that they have tanks on the streets, it is time for the people to come out in revolution. And when it is necessary, I will come back to the country. Let us be strong to fight for true democracy for our people," he said in a phone-in broadcast to followers surrounding the office of the prime minister.

There were signs that the government might again not be able to contain the protesters on Sunday.

"The government can't do anything. There are too many of us," said Lada Yingmanee, a 37-year-old housewife at one of the protest sites.

Looks like Thaksin wants to make a push and calls for civil war.

A mistake in my opinion, he's digging his grave.
That cold really be his last move.

This will either be over soon or make the country stumble into total chaos.

[bigmick22]

Doesn't the fucker know I've already booked my flights?

[Ivor Biggun]

He's just like the guys who lead the suicide bombers- from the back!!! No way he'd come back as he'd go straight to jail but he loves to stir it up.

[manarak]

The army spokesman said troops fired blanks into the crowds and live shots overhead. But in an appearance on CNN, Thaksin€”who most of the protesters consider their leader€”accused the military of lying, saying soldiers used live ammunition, killed protesters and dragged away their bodies.

"They shot people. Many died. Many people were injured," he said.

--> Thaksin is a lying scumbag.
His people don't count for him, he will do anything to come back to power and take over the country from the King's dead hands.
That's all what counts for him.

[SukhumvitRoad]

(manarak @ Apr. 14 2009,05:09)

The army spokesman said troops fired blanks into the crowds and live shots overhead. But in an appearance on CNN, Thaksin€”who most of the protesters consider their leader€”accused the military of lying, saying soldiers used live ammunition, killed protesters and dragged away their bodies.

"They shot people. Many died. Many people were injured," he said.

--> Thaksin is a lying scumbag.
His people don't count for him, he will do anything to come back to power and take over the country from the King's dead hands.
That's all what counts for him.

Surely even you Europeans can't be that naive.

What do you think every member of the current unelected government, and all the generals in the military, and Prem, and the King want? Just what's best for the country, and love and peace for everyone. Crap. They want power, too. Worse, they want to prevent anyone else from having it and they don't care what they put the country through to accomplish that.

Why doesn't the PM just dissolve parliament and call an election if he's so interested in bringing peace to the country? Because he'd LOSE, exactly as the Democrats have lost every other national election they have contested in recent times. Boy Wonder and his pals in the military and the palace would rather see the country destroyed than give up power.

And you say Thaksin's a bastard? Good Lord.

[Stogie]

Amen to that. Thaksin was actually the closest thing Thailand ever had to a civic minded leader. His arrogance got him clipped but there is no one alive that has actually done more for Thais than Thaksin.

Politics is NOT about making the world a better place. When you understand this then the rest comes easy.

[Snick]

Lets have a little balance
Good:
Helped the poor with village loans, medical care, OTOP (to help them sell local products)
Managed Economy well (paid off IMF loans, raised international ratings...)
Bad
Started problems in the South (closed down the infrastructure for working with southern Muslims), responsible for 'disappearances' of Southern activists.
War on drugs, 3000+ extra-judicial killings
Corruption increased in terms of money involved (# bribes down, but amount up)
Lied about owning shares in his companies after becoming PM
Lined his own pocket ( changed terms on his companies fees, loaned Burma 2bn USD to buy from Shin corp, sold his company tax free via off shore companies )

And what set off the 2006 coup was his attempt to increase his personal power by moving his relatives into top positions in Police and Army; and taking over religious ceremonies previously performed by the palace.

As you can guess from my list, I'm not a Thaksin fan. The Bad outweighs the good, and the if things had continued Thaksin would become the Marcos/Suharto of Thailand and would be in charge for 20+ years.

That being said, I think the Yellow shirts went too far; and the current government did not prosecute them as promised.

[rxpharm]

, good summary of points that Thaksin supporters seem to forget, or justify that all Thai political leaders are corrupt, so it's ok.

Also don't forget he is definitely a megalomaniac - his claims to be an equal to Nelson Mandela, and ridiculous claims he would come back if force was used against the Red Shirts continue to show his true character. Of course now it's I'll come back when the time is right.

Right and his family members all left Thailand the day before the problems was just a coincidence.

[batman4ever]

BKK post.......

Apart from setting fire to more buses and tyres, the rioters also reportedly attempted to burn an ATM machine

Esan suicide???

[rxpharm]

Here's a revealing clip from a video that Thaksin broadcast to the protestors on April 13. Note the subtitles, and for those who understand Thai - it's even better.

[SukhumvitRoad]

A thoughtful and articulate comment, well worth reading, posted on the Economist's web site:

"The redshirts are right - for too long Thai politics have been dominated by aloof patricians who have concerned themselves mainly with perpetuating their own rule. The king and the army intervened endlessly in various ways to make sure the democratic dice never rolled too far from this mediocre paternalism, with the royals protected by an archaic and all-encompassing law which should have no place whatsoever in the constitutional monarchy that Thailand purports to be. The elite's constant and increasingly cack-handed repressions of democratic choice especially since 2006 are outrageous ("vote the right way, dammit!") and it should be no surprise that given no other recourse, people should finally take to the streets to redress this injustice. Though he has his flaws, Thaksin did start a natural political revolution in a country where the poor have been considered almost unworthy of even voting for decades: some of the Bangkok press has to be seen to be believed, with its almost Victorian scorn for the disadvantaged. Billy Joel famously sang that he didn't start the fire, and Thaksin would have great justification in echoing the sentiment - it is surely to the Thai royalty's great discredit that merely doing something to advance the lot of the poor should appear politically so iconoclastic and provocative so late in the day. A just monarchy would have championed the cause of its poor, rather than force them to stand against their king merely for wanting decent politics."

[Stogie]

Bad: responsible for 'disappearances' of Southern activists. War on drugs, 3000+ extra-judicial killings...

Er, shouldn't these be under "Good!"

[laputanegra]

Thaksin 's voice is so  

Thaksin

Abhesit  

[Snick]

(Stogie @ Apr. 14 2009,12:27)

responsible for 'disappearances' of Southern activists. War on drugs, 3000+ extra-judicial killings...

Er, shouldn't these be under "Good!"

When are you going to stage your coup ?

[Road Runner]

(Stogie @ Apr. 14 2009,06:27) Er, shouldn't these be under "Good!"

So after they just happened to shoot a few drug dealers accidentaly  who is next?

There has to be some process of deciding the evidence  -  however flawed or even corrupt it may be.
The decision has to be kept away from the people who are policing or maintaining security otherwise they just start shooting in the heat of the moment.

"I shot him because he looked at me funny"    

No it's not good!

RR.