Prawit shrugs off Thaksin's comments

Prawit shrugs off Thaksin's comments

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon and former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra were in a war of words sparked by the ex-premier's call for reconciliation talks. (Bangkok Post photo)
Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon and former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra were in a war of words sparked by the ex-premier's call for reconciliation talks. (Bangkok Post photo)

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon has shrugged off former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's remark against him in a recent war of words sparked by the ex-premier's call for reconciliation talks.

Defence Ministry spokesman Khongcheep Tantrawanich said on Thursday that Gen Prawit, who also serves as defence minister, took Thaksin's remark in his stride.

Gen Prawit is not upset about what Thaksin said and does not want to trade barbs with him, Lt Gen Khongcheep said. Lt Gen Khongcheep also said Gen Prawit has not yet decided whether to sue Thaksin for defamation.

Gen Prawit on Thursday refused to talk to the media during his visit to Kalasin to return assets pledged as collateral to borrowers in the Northeast.

Thaksin posted the message on his Facebook account on Tuesday to mark the 12th anniversary of the Sept 19, 2006 coup that unseated him. The coup was engineered by then army chief Gen Sonthi Boonyratglin.

He said the country could not move forward because it was being derailed by military coups, including the putsch in 2014 which ousted the government led by his sister Yingluck Shinawatra.

Thaksin also wrote that it would be in the national interest if old foes entered into a dialogue with each other.

Gen Prawit on Wednesday brushed aside Thaksin's call for dialogue, saying Thaksin should clear his name first before thinking about talks between old rivals. The deputy prime minister did not name Thaksin directly, but asked "who caused problems for the country?''

Just hours after Gen Prawit's remark, Thaksin posted another tweet. ''The look and the tone of his voice was so stern and scary, not as sweet and soft as when asking for the army chief post,'' Thaksin wrote, without naming Gen Prawit. Gen Prawit was army commander-in-chief from 2004 to 2005, when Thaksin was prime minister.

Thaksin fled the country in 2008 before the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions sentenced him to two years in jail for conflict of interest in the 2003 purchase of state-owned land by his then-wife Khunying Potjaman na Pombejra.

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT (33)