Thaksin charges seen as warning from old guard
The attorney general’s decision to indict former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra on lese majeste charges is the result of Thaksin failing to honour a deal with the old power groups that still hold sway in Thai politics, according to some political observers.
Stithorn Thananithichot, director of the Office of Innovation for Democracy at King Prajadhipok’s Institute, told the Bangkok Post that the indictment is a warning from the conservative establishment not to break their deal.
Thaksin has long been regarded as the de facto leader of the ruling Pheu Thai Party, which cobbled together a coalition government that is now led by his youngest daughter, Paetongtarn.
The conservatives may be unhappy with Thaksin’s increasing role in politics after returning to Thailand, despite him not holding any official government office, Mr Stithorn said.
“The lese majeste case is meant to be a warning to Thaksin not to step out of line. The deal must be honoured. The line-up of the new cabinet and the election of the new Senate are also included [in the power-sharing deal],” he said.
“The deal must benefit all sides. The old power groups must also be included,” Mr Stithorn said.
“They are afraid that Thaksin will exercise too much power. So they have to do something to deter him,” Mr Stithorn said. But Thaksin will likely end up being let off the hook, he added.
“They don’t want to get rid of him. They just need a guarantee that the deal will be honoured.”
Surachart Bamrungsuk, a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University, echoed the view that the indictment against Thaksin is the result of the deal between Thaksin and the old power groups having collapsed.
“Thaksin’s increasing role in politics has led to problems. It remains to be seen whether he will have to tone down his role or if the negotiations will need to be renewed,” Mr Surachart said.
However, Thanaporn Sriyakul, director of the Political and Public Policy Analysis Institute, told the Bangkok Post that he did not think the indictment against Thaksin had anything to do with a “collapsed deal”.
The attorney general should be praised for carrying out his duty in indicting Thaksin, Mr Thanaporn said.
He also noted that it remains to be seen whether Thaksin will be released on bail when he appears in court on June 18.
Previously, many lese majeste suspects were not granted bail, he said. If the court uses the same standards, Thaksin would also be sent to jail, Mr Thanaporn said.
Wisut Chainaroon, a Pheu Thai list MP, said the indictment against Thaksin will not have any impact on Pheu Thai.
“Don’t try to link him with Pheu Thai because he does not hold any government office,” Mr Wisut said.
On Wednesday, the attorney general decided to indict Thaksin on lese majeste and computer crime charges arising from an interview given in Seoul on Feb 21, 2015.
The computer crime charge stems from Thaksin putting information into a computer system that was deemed a threat to national security, according to Prayut Phetcharakhun, spokesman for the Office of the Attorney General (OAG).
However, public prosecutors could not arraign Thaksin as planned on Wednesday because his lawyer submitted a medical certificate which stated that he had Covid-19 and needed to rest until next Monday.
But Mr Prayut said prosecutors have ordered the former prime minister to appear at the OAG at 9am on June 18 for the indictment process.
Thaksin was alleged to have defamed the monarchy while speaking with South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo newspaper when he claimed privy councillors supported the 2014 coup that ousted the government of his younger sister, Yingluck Shinawatra.
Police claim the comments violated Section 112 of the Criminal Code, also known as the lese majeste law, as well as the Computer Crime Act.
Source – Bangkok News
