Loyalist MPs defer visit to meet Thaksin, fearing for his safety

By The Nation on Sunday
Published on February 8, 2009

Opposition politicians loyal to convicted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra have postponed their trips to meet him in Cambodia and Hong Kong out of fear for his safety, some of them said yesterday. The MPs from the Pheu Thai Party had earlier planned to meet Thaksin over the weekend.

Jatuporn Promphan, a Pheu Thai party-list MP, said he was concerned about Thaksin's safety and the difficulties the former premier was facing due to his irregular residency abroad.

Party MP Samart Kaewmechai said some MPs may have the right to decide if they wanted to go and see Thaksin but he believed that all MPs from the party already had some way to contact him.

Surawit Konsomboon, another Pheu Thai MP from Chaiyaphum, said he would also postpone his plan and added that it may be best that a small batch of MPs meet Thaksin at a time.

Other MPs such as Pracha Prasopdee said his plan to meet the former premier in Hong Kong this weekend has been postponed indefinitely. However, he added that some northeastern MPs might meet Thaksin through an arrangement made by the former PM's younger brother Payap Shinawatra.

Democrat Party spokesman Buranat Samuttarak said he believes the meeting will be about choosing a new Pheu Thai leader and the fact that Thaksin is still the man who will decide means the party cannot choose its own leader through a proper process.

A new Pheu Thai leader, said Buranat, will likely assume the role of mobilising red-shirt protesters against the government and will bring about a new round of political conflict.

"Thaksin has the right to express his views through his phone-ins but he must consider the country's law by fighting through the judicial process. The Democrat Party has reiterated that the government will guarantee his safety," Buranat said.

In a related development, Thepthai Senpong, personal spokesman of Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, said every nation has the right to decide whether to bar individuals like Thaksin from entering its country or not and urged Pheu Thai MPs not to cause diplomatic strains.

"I have all the documents but fear that it wouldn't be proper to reveal it. Pheu Thai MPs shouldn't worry that it will affect bilateral relations but these MPs must be careful in pressuring embassies of various states or threatening to boycott their goods, as it will affect bilateral relations. If they want to know, they can ask during the House session," Thepthai said.

He added that some discussion can be done in confidentiality without naming affected countries in question.