'I'm Like a Rat'

04/20/2009

Interview with Exiled Former Thai Leader Thaksin

'I'm Like a Rat'

In a SPIEGEL interview, former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, 59, discusses the uprising of his supporters against the government in Bangkok and the role the king should play in resolving the lasting conflict in the tumultuous southeast Asian nation.

SPIEGEL: Dr. Thaksin, the news emerged from Bangkok on Friday that Sonhi Limthongkul, the leader of the government loyal Yellow Shirts, barely survived an assassination attempt. He has always been one of your most dogged opponents.

Thaksin Shinawatra: It was the government that declared a state of emergency. Even though there was an election, the government used its power in an even worse way than a putsch government. It controls every place, it can seize and search without any warrants,

and they don't care about human rights. It's a government that has been given the license to kill. And I have the impression that the phase of "cut-off killings" has begun -- in other words, they are eliminating anyone who knows too much about the conspiracy of those in power against me.

SPIEGEL: Officially, two people died in the latest riots and 123 were injured. Do you dispute these figures?

Thaksin: It is an absolute lie.

SPIEGEL: Do you have proof of that?
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Thaksin: After they said there were only two dead, we found two Red Shirts who had been tied with their hands behind their backs and were found in the Chao Praya River. We are still looking for others.

SPIEGEL: The world is very alarmed by the developments in your country. What is the reason for the lasting crisis?

Thaksin: The political elite are very worried because I and my associates have remained popular and powerful, as they were before. They would like to shift the power to the the other camp, the Democrats, but they cannot do it through democratic means. Now they are

using all kinds of other means. They unsuccessfully tried to assassinate me. They also sparked protests, which were not successful -- but it was still enough for them to use it as an excuse to conduct the coup d'etat. After the coup, they politicized the justice system and

convicted me and my family. Then they created an illegal constitution. Despite all that, the people still vote for my camp. This really upsets Bangkok. That's why the latest uprising happened.

SPIEGEL: How can Thailand pull itself out of this plight?

Thaksin: As long as the power struggle is not transparent and is not conducted by democratic means, everything will remain stuck. We will not be able to move. The justice

system has been used to shore up a double standard -- it is lenient to one side and brutal to the other. Reconciliation is the only solution.

SPIEGEL: You have urged King Bhumibol to intervene and stop the crisis. Why hasn't he done anything yet?

Thaksin: I don't know. I cannot say anything about the royal monarchy.

SPIEGEL: But the word of the king is clearly decisive.

Thaksin: I would say that he is the only person who can reconcile. I don't think other people can. I have been watching my country from the outside for three years already. Nothing has improved.

SPIEGEL: Is Thailand's crisis also a crisis of the monarchy?

Thaksin: His majesty is 81 years old. We wish him a long life. And we also wish that he will continue to enjoy the respect of all Thais. As a Thai, it is difficult for me to say more. Thais don't have much freedom of speech.
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