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| Southeast Asia |
| There won't be a coup detat |
| 2010-01-31 |
| [Straits Times] THAILAND'S prime minister said on Saturday he saw no threat of his government being ousted in a coup despite speculation back home, insisting that the rule of law would triumph over intimidation. Abhisit Vejjajiva said in an interview with The Associated Press that any talk of his government being overthrown was linked to the February court decision on whether to confiscate more than US$2 billion (S$2.81 billion) in assets linked to former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, and his supporters' attempts to destabilise the country. 'I don't think there is any reason for a coup d'etat,' Mr Abhisit said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum. 'This government has been in office for just a little over a year. We have turned the economy around, implementing a number of policies that are reaching out to all sections of the population of Thailand. We are also observing the rule of law.' Mr Abhisit said political opponents of his royalist party had sufficient rights to freedom of expression, and that there was no need for any political change outside of new elections. He promised to hold early elections when there were assurances that violence and intimidation tactics would be avoided. Thaksin's supporters and opponents have repeatedly taken to the streets since he was ousted in a 2006 coup, sparring over who has the right to rule the country. He fled into self-imposed exile in 2008 before a Thai court found him guilty of violating a conflict of interest law and sentenced him to two years in prison. A court will decide next month whether to seize more than US$2 billion in Thaksin's assets. |
| Posted by:Fred |