Thaksin hopes memories of coup not fading away

Thaksin hopes memories of coup not fading away

A soldier keeps watch in Bangkok, three days after the military coup on Sept 19, 2016. (Post Today file photo)
A soldier keeps watch in Bangkok, three days after the military coup on Sept 19, 2016. (Post Today file photo)

On this day 11 years ago, Sept 19, Thaksin Shinawatra was removed from office by a military coup, and the former prime minister hopes people do not forget that.

"I hope the memory of what happened 11 years ago has not faded from the hearts of Thai people," he tweeted on Tuesday.

It was his second tweet session in less than a month, after a long silence dating back to 2015.

His first message was posted on @ThaksinLive on Aug 30, citing French political philosopher Montesquieu. It came after his sister fled the ruling of the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions in her rice-pledging case trial, scheduled for Aug 25.

This time, he tweeted not once, but twice. A second tweet sent at the same time on Tuesday expressed his concern for "the livelihood of my fellow Thai citizens." (Continues below)

Thaksin, who was then caretaker prime minister, was in New York attending the UN General Assembly in 2006 when then army chief Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin put soldiers and tanks on Bangkok streets and seized power.

The coup ended his premiership, a position he had held since leading the former Thai Rak Thai party to two landslide election victories.

Thaksin mostly spends his time in Dubai but visits other countries. He was last seen in London, where his daughter Pintongta posted a picture with him on Saturday.

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon visited London last week, but the Defence Ministry denied rumours the two had met in the United Kingdom.

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