Thaksin raps 'bent laws and ungentlemanly military'

Thaksin raps 'bent laws and ungentlemanly military'

Fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra talks to a group of his supporters in Los Angeles by video call from Dubai on Friday. The picture was captured from a video clip on the Facebook page of former news anchor Jom Petchpradab, right.
Fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra talks to a group of his supporters in Los Angeles by video call from Dubai on Friday. The picture was captured from a video clip on the Facebook page of former news anchor Jom Petchpradab, right.

Fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has told supporters he went into exile because he did not understand "the democracy of the Bangkok elite".

He marked his 70th birthday with a video call from Dubai on Friday morning to supporters in Los Angeles, including former news anchor Jom Petchpradab. It was Thursday evening there.

Thaksin said his opponents were always looking for opportunities to destroy him and his supporters. His side had faced cheating in every election, but still managed to win.

"I have never seen military who lack gentlemanliness like those at the present time. Victory that comes from rigged rules and judges is not cool," he said.

Asked about his political role, Thaksin mentioned the Pheu Thai Party and said key members like Sompong Amornviwat and Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan were performing their duties there, and he was sending his moral support.

Asked when he would return to Thailand, Thaksin said he had no idea and that the laws were twisted and justice had disappeared.

"It's time for the country to have fair rules. Do not let unreasonable and brazen people set the rules. If this is allowed to continue, it will end up with conflict," Thaksin said.

He also said that he had go into exile because he "did not understand the democracy of the Bangkok elite". He still wanted to work for Thailand and the people, and he did not want "the chief of the security guards to become CEO".

Thaksin said he was ready to give advice on economic solutions to the government.

He also said that he and his younger sister Yingluck Shinawatra lived in different residences in Dubai.

Thaksin jumped bail and left Thailand in 2008 just before the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions sentenced him to two years in prison for conflict interest in the purchase of state land in a prime location in Bangkok in 2003 by his then-wife while he was prime minister.

Although the statute of limitations on the case expired last year, he was sentenced in absentia this year to a total jail term of five years for his government's digit lottery project and a low-interest government loan to Myanmar which benefitted his family's Shin Satellite Plc.

Yingluck fled the country in 2017 as the same division of the Supreme Court sentenced her to five years imprisonment without suspension after finding her guilty of neglect of duty for failing to take action to stem corruption in her government's rice-pledging scheme after being informed about it.

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