BANGKOK (AFP)--Supporters of Thailand's exiled former premier Thaksin Shinawatra said Tuesday they would hold rallies to block a summit of Southeast Asian nations, but the government brushed off the threat.
Red-clad Thaksin loyalists have held a series of protests since new Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva came to power in mid-December, following a court ruling that removed the former pro-Thaksin government from power.
They have threatened to seal off February's Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or Asean, meeting in protest at the new foreign minister, who was involved in a recent blockade of Bangkok's airports by anti-Thaksin protesters.
"We will write to all nine Asean ambassadors to ask them to convey our message that the red-shirts will not allow Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya to host the Asean meeting," core pro-Thaksin leader Jatuporn Prompan said.
"We will not allow the terrorist Kasit to host the summit. We will mobilize hundreds of thousands to rally to show that the majority of Thai people do not accept him," said Jatuporn, who is also an opposition lawmaker.
The summit was originally due to take place in December but was postponed due to the airport blockade by the yellow-shirted People's Alliance for Democracy protest movement late last year.
The PAD accused the previous government of being a proxy for telecommunications tycoon Thaksin, who was ousted in a military coup in 2006 and currently lives abroad to avoid a jail sentence on corruption charges.
Abhisit's new government has since repeatedly rescheduled the meeting, with the latest unconfirmed dates being in late February.
Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, who is responsible for national security, quickly dismissed the threat and promised not to move the summit out of Bangkok.
"I am not concerned and insist that the meeting will be held in Bangkok and not moved to Phuket," he said, referring to Thailand's southern tourist island which had been mooted as an alternative venue.
"The red-shirts are trying to make a move, but I don't think it will make Asean members boycott the meeting in Thailand," he said.
Abhisit had hoped to use the delayed summit to regain international confidence after three years of political turmoil in Thailand including the unprecedented shut down of Bangkok's airports.
Asean groups Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Myanmar, Brunei, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
Red-clad Thaksin loyalists have held a series of protests since new Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva came to power in mid-December, following a court ruling that removed the former pro-Thaksin government from power.
They have threatened to seal off February's Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or Asean, meeting in protest at the new foreign minister, who was involved in a recent blockade of Bangkok's airports by anti-Thaksin protesters.
"We will write to all nine Asean ambassadors to ask them to convey our message that the red-shirts will not allow Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya to host the Asean meeting," core pro-Thaksin leader Jatuporn Prompan said.
"We will not allow the terrorist Kasit to host the summit. We will mobilize hundreds of thousands to rally to show that the majority of Thai people do not accept him," said Jatuporn, who is also an opposition lawmaker.
The summit was originally due to take place in December but was postponed due to the airport blockade by the yellow-shirted People's Alliance for Democracy protest movement late last year.
The PAD accused the previous government of being a proxy for telecommunications tycoon Thaksin, who was ousted in a military coup in 2006 and currently lives abroad to avoid a jail sentence on corruption charges.
Abhisit's new government has since repeatedly rescheduled the meeting, with the latest unconfirmed dates being in late February.
Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, who is responsible for national security, quickly dismissed the threat and promised not to move the summit out of Bangkok.
"I am not concerned and insist that the meeting will be held in Bangkok and not moved to Phuket," he said, referring to Thailand's southern tourist island which had been mooted as an alternative venue.
"The red-shirts are trying to make a move, but I don't think it will make Asean members boycott the meeting in Thailand," he said.
Abhisit had hoped to use the delayed summit to regain international confidence after three years of political turmoil in Thailand including the unprecedented shut down of Bangkok's airports.
Asean groups Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Myanmar, Brunei, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
3 comments:
Cambodia should support the Red-clad Thaksin loyalists because Thaksin was our friends if you had read PAD's plan using its military might to invade Cambodia.
There will be other ASEAN members contest the summit due to security concern and political unrest in Thailand with the ongoing Red-clad rally even though Cambodia unwilling to bear it.
You’re right. Cambodia enjoyed good relationship with Thailand under former premiership, Thakin.
True. Thaksin was buying Cambodia piece by piece. He can easily afford to buy not only its leadership, but the entire country. Shame on the Cambodians for falling for the unethical con artist in Asian history.
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