|
Thaksin calls for new elections in Thailand |
Thailand's ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra urged the military
government on Friday to press ahead with new elections, in a
videotaped address shown to thousands of his supporters at an
anti-coup rally.
"Please speed up the new elections and turn the country back to
democracy," Thaksin said in his speech to Bangkok crowds estimated
by police at 15,000.
While Thaksin appealed for unity after 18 months of political
turmoil, he also vowed to wage a court battle to clear his name of
corruption charges that led authorities this week to freeze 1.5
billion dollars of his assets.
"I will fight to get my dignity back, and to restore the
credibility of Thailand's legal system," he said in remarks
recorded in London, where he has lived in exile since the coup last
September.
"I will fight within the rule of law," he added, appearing calm and
wearing a business suit in the video shown on a giant screen in a
plaza near the golden spires of the Grand Palace.
Thaksin's speech was only the second time that his voice has been
heard in his home country since the coup, and came amid heightened
political tensions in the kingdom.
The billionaire tycoon has suffered crushing legal blows over the
last three weeks.
A court last month disbanded his party and barred him from running
for political office for five years, while anti-corruption
authorities this week froze many of his assets.
The legal action prompted his supporters to stage nightly rallies
over the last two weeks, joining a diverse group of democracy
advocates and anti-poverty campaigners who had already been holding
small protests against the junta.
Thousands of Buddhist monks also staged their own protest this week
to demand that their faith be named the state religion.
Despite fears that the rally Friday could turn violent, Thaksin
spoke in a measured voice while the protesters watched attentively.
Thaksin insisted that the latest moves against him and his
now-disbanded Thai Rak Thai party were simply political efforts to
prevent his allies from winning a new election, tentatively set for
December. "The government and the (junta) seized my assets because
they want to discredit me and to prevent Thai Rak Thai from winning
in new elections.
That's not democracy," he said. "I haven't done anything wrong,"
he said in the 30-minute speech. "I repeat that I have already
given up politics," he added.
Organisers had earlier said that Thaksin would speak on a live
satellite link from London, but at the last minute decided to play
a recorded version of the speech instead.
The government had promised not to block the satellite
transmission, and organisers gave no reason for the change of plan.
They estimated the crowd at more than 50,000.
About 900 police were deployed at the protest, and Prime Minister
Surayud Chulanont earlier insisted that security forces would not
be armed.
He also sought to quash rumours swirling around Bangkok that the
government could declare a state of emergency to prevent any
unrest, saying such a move would be a last resort.
But he said: "If the situation constitutes an emergency, the
government will not hesitate to do so." Protesters still plan
another rally for Saturday, which they say will be the largest yet.
The military said it will deploy 13,000 soldiers for the event.
Thaksin has only spoken once before to the Thai people since his
ouster, antagonising the military by phoning a radio talk show from
abroad.
In the weeks after the coup, the military blocked international
news broadcasts showing Thaksin and banned community radio stations
supportive of him.
The generals have also warned Thai television stations against
reporting about the ex-premier.
 |
Show/Hide comments
Show/Hide comment form
