Agencies prepare legal campaign against Thaksin

Bangkok Post 03/03/2010

Government agencies are stepping up their efforts to launch further criminal and civil legal action against ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his associates.

The action follows the decision by the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions last Friday to order the seizure of 46.37 billion baht in assets from the Shinawatra family.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has instructed all government agencies to seek ways to bring civil and criminal charges against Thaksin in the wake of the court ruling.

Mr Abhisit said after a cabinet meeting yesterday he had told ministers to tell state agencies under their ministries to study the court's rulings in detail to see whether there were channels to press further charges.

He said he had instructed the Office of the Attorney-General to help summarise the main points of the rulings.

"Several state agencies have been damaged, so every agency will have to get back to study the rulings to take legal action [against Thaksin]," he said.

The prime minister did not set a timeframe for agencies to announce their recommendations.

Mr Abhisit said he had told the cabinet ministers to learn from this case and emphasised that they must ensure all agencies under their supervision are not lured into corruption.

He also said he was confident the government would be able to control demonstrations being orchestrated by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) between March 12 and 14.

"We don't see the need to implement the Internal Security Act at the moment," Mr Abhisit said.

PAD opens party headquarter with little fanfare

The Nation 20/01/2010

A bright sea of yellow did not dominate the opening of the New Politics Party's headquarters yesterday - instead it was light green, the party's new symbolic colour.

However, transforming the yellow-shirt movement into a formal political figure started off rather sluggishly. Even the celebrations were subdued.

Sondhi Limthongkul, clad in a light green jacket, did not wear the confident look of a fearless political warrior. Instead he was seen pacing around a small room in the building on Phra Sumeru Road - headquarters of the New Politics Party, hoping to become a reactionary force in politics.

He accepted flowers and a palm-sized Buddha statue from well-wishers, as monks had their breakfast in another room.

It was not 9.06am yet - the time deemed auspicious for opening the headquarters. Yet the low-key opening looked all but auspicious and the first evidence was that Sondhi's charm had lost its shininess. Instead, he looked worried about the tough game of politics and the rough road ahead, especially with his yellow-shirted supporters having such high expectations.

PM meets Gen Prem

The Nation 13/01/2010

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva reportedly met Privy Councillor chairman Gen Prem Tinsulanond in a private meeting on Thursday at the latter's residence to discuss about Privy Councillor Surayud Chulanont's controversial plot of land.

Red shirts had rallied near Surayud's vacation home on Khao Yai Thieng in Nakhon Ratchasima province earlier this week. They demanded that Surayud returned the land as it is on a forest reserve.

Surayud said he was ready to do whatever the Forest Department ruled on the matter. The Office of Attorney General said there was no evidence of Surayud having any malicious intent to encroach on the forest reserve and he got the plot from a lawful owner.

During the meeting, Prem and Abhisit are reportedly touching on the red shirt plan to rally at Khao Soi Dao in Chantha Buri province.

Prem wanted the government to be proactive in explaining the issue to the public.

Suthep: Respect the court

Bangkok Post 13/01/2010

People should have faith in the justice system and not worry about violence on Feb 26, when the Supreme Court is due to give its verdict on the Thaksin Shinawatra's 76.6 billion baht assets seizure case, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, who oversees security, said on Wednesday.

"I'm not worried about it," he said. "We should not think that the verdict for one person would be more important than any other. We must have faith in the judicial process."

The court examined two additional witnesses on Tuesday - former information and communication technology minister Sithichai Pookaiyaudom and Thailand Research Development Institute academic Somkiat Tangkitwanich. It later announced a verdict could be expected n Feb 26

When asked if the approaching verdict could lead to an increase in political activities by the pro-Thaksin group, Mr Suthep said the country belongs to the people, and no one could go against the majority.

"When everything goes according to the rule of law, which is accepted by Thais, then everyone will have to accept it," he said.

Army chief Anupong Paojinda said the army is ready to maintain order if the red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) intensifies its anti-government activities.

Supreme Court to rule Feb 26 on Thaksin's seized assets

Bangkok Post 12/01/2010

The Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions has set Feb 26 to give the verdict on Thaksin Shinawatra's 76.6 billion baht assets seizure case, a court official said.

The court set the date after examining two more witnesses on Tuesday - former information and communication technology minister Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom and Thailand Research Development Institute academic Somkiat Tangkitwanich.

Mr Sitthichai, Mr Somkiat together with representatives from the Securities and Exchange Commission and the National Telecommunication Commission were to testify before the court.

The additional examination of witnesses scheduled for Jan 14 was cancelled, the official said.

The Supreme Court wants to inspect the Shin Corp's shareholdings and Thaksin government's telecommunications policies before handing down a verdict on whether the 76 billion baht in Shinawatra family assets were obtained illegally or not.

Thaksin's lawyer Chattip Tanthaprasat earlier expressed no concern over the hearings scheduled for today and Thursday, and said the ousted premier's legal team was prepared for the court's examination of additional witnesses and documents.

http://nationmultimedia.com/2010/01/11/politics/politics_30120045.php

The Nation 11/01/20101

Rally aims to highlight supposed double standards in govt enforcing the law Thousands of red shirts will descend today on a forest reserve at Khao Yai Thiang in Nakhon Ratchasima for a protest designed as a prelude to a showdown in the capital to oust the government.

Today's rally aims to highlight a supposed double standards in law enforcement. The red shirts claim the government has failed to evict Privy Councillor Surayud Chulanont from his vacation home despite doubts in regard to his ownership of the property.

Red shirts began to congregate near the home, the designated rally site, yesterday afternoon.

A 1,000-strong riot force has been deployed at the mouth of a road leading to the rally site. Provincial Police Region 3 commissioner Lt General Dechawat Ramsompop was personally supervising the crowd control operation.

Pheu Thai Party spokesman Prompong Nopparit called for Surayud to take responsibility for encroachment on the forest reserve and quit the Privy Council.

A leading figure such as Surayud, who had been a prime minister just after the coup, should know it was unlawful for him to possess the plot, Prompong claimed.

Thaksin showers gifts, scholarships

The Nation 10/01/2010

About 1,500 children of red-shirt parents celebrated National Children's Day in Chiang Mai yesterday with gifts and scholarships from fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra.Ads by Google

Among the prizes given in front of Warorot Grand Palace Hotel were a BlackBerry smart phone, 60 bicycles, sports equipment and blankets.

Thaksin reportedly phoned in later in the afternoon and even gave his own version of a National Children's Day motto: "The future will be bright if one learns about technology".

The move apparently confused some of the children, who had heard Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajva's own slogan for National Children's Day.

Thaksin told the children that "politics is about lies" and urged them not to be fooled, especially by people who declared bankruptcy, a reference to People's Alliance for Democracy leader Sondhi Limthongkul.