Bt1m for anyone who prove pact get oil concessions in return

Noppadon Pattama

January 19, 2010
The Nation
THAI-CAMBODIA MOU ON PREAH VIHEAR TEMPLE

Noppadon Pattana, spokesman for ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, said he would reward Bt1 million to anyone who can prove that the former leader had traded the memorandum of understanding on Preah Vihear with petroleum concessions from Cambodia.

Noppadon declared this at a press conference organised to respond to allegations from the Democrats that Thaksin was mobilising his red shirts and planning to use Cambodia as a base to apply pressure on the Supreme Court's Office of Political Holders.

"The Democrats are trying to sling mud at Thaksin and his red-shirt supporters," Noppadon said. "If look back in history, someone had shouted [in a theatre] that Pridi [Banomyong, the late statesman], had killed the King [Rama VIII]. That did not make it true"

Noppadon said Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and other Democrats had shown up at the yellow shirt rallies, held during the time of Samak Sundarvej's government, to give them support. In fact, some Democrats even made public addresses on the yellow shirts' forum, he added.

A political storm is brewing ahead of the Supreme Court's verdict on Thaksin's Bt76-billion asset case slated for February 26, and the former PM is resorting to all sorts of tactics to regain his assets.

"I would like to stress that Thaksin would do nothing to hurt the country. How long the Democrats manage to remain the government is their business. Thaksin loves this country, and would not resort to any move to apply pressure on the Supreme Court," Noppadon said.

He added that the Democrats alleged that while he was foreign minister, he had signed an MoU with Cambodia on the inscription of Phreah Vihear as a Unesco World Heritage Site in exchange for Thaksin gaining oil concessions in Cambodia. Yet, he added, a year has gone by but nobody has stepped forward with evidence.

He said he was setting aside Bt1 million from his own pocket to give as a reward to anyone who can prove that he had signed the MoU in exchange for oil concessions.

"If this is true, Thaksin will hand the oil concessions over to the person who proves it. That person will also get Bt1 million from me.

Besides, money will also be given to anybody who can prove that Thaksin's assets have been seized by the UK authorities," he said.

Noppadon showed the Bt1 million to the press.

When questioned why Thaksin has not talked the red shirts out of rallying after February 14, Noppadon said their movements had nothing to do with Thaksin, though they both had the same objective - seeking justice.