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| Southeast Asia |
| Why let Thaksin run loose? |
| 2010-04-14 |
| [Straits Times] THAILAND'S Foreign Minister lashed out at the international community on Monday for failing to take action against fugitive ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, whom he blamed for the country's political unrest. 'Everyone is washing their hands but he is a bloody terrorist,' said Kasit Piromya, citing countries such as Russia and Germany for turning a blind eye over Mr Thaksin's corruption conviction and allowing him in. He also cited Dubai, which the billionaire Mr Thaksin had reportedly used as a longtime base after being overthrown in a military coup in 2006, as well as Nicaragua and Montenegro, both of which he recently visited. 'There is this act of interference by third countries - how can the Russians allow him there for two days or the Germans before that?' 'Everyone is playing naive, closing their eyes and so on, simply because he was once an elected leader,' Mr Kasit said. He likened Mr Thaksin to an Al-Qaeda terrorist and past 'elected' leaders such as Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin and Benito Mussolini. 'Hitler was elected, Mussolini was elected, even Stalin could say that he was elected also but what did they do to their very society? This is the question,' the top Thai diplomat said at a meeting with a small group of reporters and think tank heads. Mr Kasit, in Washington attending a landmark nuclear summit called by President Barack Obama, accused Mr Thaksin of orchestrating demonstrations by his so-called Red Shirt supporters last week that led to 21 deaths in the bloodiest political unrest in 18 years. The 60-year-old Mr Thaksin exiled himself to avoid imprisonment on a 2008 corruption conviction and occasionally addresses the Red Shirts through Internet video links. Mr Kasit lamented that Thailand was 'not getting any international cooperation at all' over Mr Thaksin's case, saying even Interpol 'just simply refused to work with us.' He blamed the ousted premier for using extralegal means to topple Thailand's current democratically elected administration. While the world demanded for more democracy in Thailand, it 'allows Mr Thaksin to run loose as if nothing happens,' he said. |
| Posted by:Fred |