About 7,000 protesters from the anti-Thaksin People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) movement rallied peacefully in the Thai capital, carrying posters and shouting "Thaksin go to jail". Thaksin has been issued with an arrest warrant after he failed to appear in front of a Thai court over corruption allegations. The situation has overshadowed City's start to the Premier League season, with reports claiming Thaksin has been forced to borrow money from former chairman John Wardle in order to pay wages and other outgoings. Around £800 million of Thaksin's assets have been frozen by Thai authorities. And until those funds are released, Thaksin's plans to transform City into one of Europe's leading clubs will remain on hold. In a letter to Ambassador Quinton Mark Quayle, the PAD called on the Home Office to turn down any request for asylum from Thaksin. Thailand has not yet requested the extradition of Thaksin, who still carries a Thai diplomatic passport. He has so far not been granted asylum or special treatment in the UK. A Home Office spokeswoman said: "It is our long-standing policy to neither confirm nor deny whether an extradition request has been received for a particular individual. "Every case is considered on its merits, in line with our international commitments and the terms of UK extradition legislation." The protesters were led by Sondhi Limthongkul, a key figure in the PAD which orchestrated mass street protests leading to Thaksin's ousting from office in the bloodless coup. Last week, Thailand's Supreme Court ruled that a corruption trial against Thaksin and his wife, Pojaman, could proceed even though the couple fled the country. Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/mancity/2585557/Manchester-Citys-Thaksin-Shinawatra-faces-extradition-calls-from-Thai-protestors---Football.htmlTurmoil continues to surround Manchester City owner Thasin Shinawatra after thousands of protestors gathered outside the British Embassy in Bangkok demanding the extradition of the former Thai prime minister.
Showing posts with label Pojamarn Shinawatra. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pojamarn Shinawatra. Show all posts
Manchester City's Thaksin Shinawatra faces extradition calls from Thai protestors
Tuesday, August 19, 2008 by Editor
Anti-Thaksin protesters march on British embassy in Bangkok
Monday, August 18, 2008 by Editor
BANGKOK (AFP) — Thousands of protesters clad in bright yellow marched through central Bangkok to the British embassy on Tuesday to demand the extradition of ousted Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra. Chanting "Return Thaksin home" and waving banners reading "Most wanted criminals: Thaksin and (his wife) Pojaman", the noisy crowd blocked traffic in one of the capital's main shopping districts. "We are coming here to submit a letter to the British government asking them to return Thaksin to receive justice in Thailand," Chamlong Srimuang, one of the protest leaders, told the crowd. A representative of British ambassador Quinton Quayle received the letter from protest leaders, who have demanded a response within seven days. Bangkok police special branch said that up to 7,000 protesters flooded the streets, while bystanders estimated the crowd to be at least 3,000-strong. The protesters from the so-called People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) wore yellow T-shirts and headscarfs -- a show of allegiance to the king -- and carried signs in English and Thai. "Thaksin is not a political refugee but a criminal evading an arrest warrant," one banner hoisted above the crowd read. Thaksin and Pojaman skipped a required court appearance in a corruption case last Monday and instead fled to England, with Thaksin saying he believed political interference in Thailand would rob him of a fair trial on graft charges. A warrant has been issued for his arrest, and the Thai attorney general's office has begun considering a possible bid to extradite Thaksin from Britain, where he owns the Premier League football club Manchester City. Thaksin was overthrown in a coup in September 2006 and returned to Thailand in February this year after 18 months of self-imposed exile in England, vowing to fight the corruption charges. But instead the cases mounted, and on July 31 his wife was convicted of tax evasion and sentenced to three years in jail. The PAD has been holding street protests since May demanding the resignation of premier Samak Sundaravej, who was elected in December last year. They accuse Samak of being a puppet of his old ally Thaksin.
PAD demands UK not to grant aslym to Thaksin
by Editor
Thousands of of protesters led by People Alliance for Democracy marched to the UK Embassy on Wireless Road in Bangkok on Tuesday morning to demand the country not to grant political asylum to former premier Thaksin Shinawatra. The protesters arrived at the embassy at about 10.30am. Police had to seal off roads in the area, including Wireless and Ploenchit roads. PAD's leaders; Chamlong Srimuang, Sondhi Limthongkul and Somsak Kosaisuk, submitted a petition to the embassy's representative at about 11.10 am. The protesters called on the British government not to grant a political asylum to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The petition said Thaksin's request for political asylum in Britain must be turned down. "If Thaksin is not brought back to face the charges against him in Thai courts, it will further contribute to the political and democratic deadlock and undermine the capacity to transform the public realm," said the letter. The UK was warned that if Thaksin's request is met, it will set terrible precedence for other rich, powerful, and non-democratic figures in Thailand as well as elsewhere to follow suit. PAD's letter to the United Kingdom His Excellency Mr. Quinton Mark Quayle Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland to Thailand Your Excellency, With reference to former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife, Khun Ying Pojaman Shinawatra, having jumped bail and fleeing to London last weekend and the subsequent arrest warrants issued by the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office Holders for the above-mentioned fugitives, the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) wishes to draw the British Government's attention to the following points: 1) On 14 August 2008, during a session in the House of Representatives, Mr. Tej Bunnag, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, was asked about the impact of Former Prime Minister Thaksin's statement on the image of Thailand's judiciary system. In response, Minister Tej read to the House an official statement by the Kingdom's Foreign Affairs Ministry on Thailand's judicial system saying that "the Thai judicial system's internal, meticulous, and democratic selection process for judges has garnered widespread acceptance and respect from Thai society for its professionalism, high ethical standards, and independence from outside interference. For these reasons, the Thai public has always had strong faith in the integrity and impartiality of the Thai judiciary and knows that it can be counted upon". (Details of the Foreign Minister's answers are contained in the Press Release of the Department of Information of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs attached herewith.) 2) The original meaning of "democracy" is not merely majority rule but the capacity to do things, especially the capacity to pursue change in the public realm. Through popular, legal, and sovereign measures Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was recently brought on trial. Thaksin was charged with abusing his power as prime minister by securing insider deals on real-estate purchases for family members. This is the first time in Thai political history that a former prime minister was brought on trial. No doubt, as part of the governed, we see it as a positive sign, especially in terms of the rule of law and the transformation of the public sphere based on accountability and equality. It shows that crimes are of great consequences regardless of the perpetrator's identity. Used to living in a world of fixed heirarchies and gross inequalities, Thaksin fled the indictment to London and is planning to seek asylum in Britain. Thaksin's request for political asylum in Britain must be turned down. If Thaksin is not brought back to face the charges against him in Thai courts, it will further contribute to the political and democratic deadlock and undermine the capacity to transform the public realm. If Thaksin's request is met, it will set terrible precedence for other rich, powerful, and non-democratic figures in Thailand as well as elsewhere to follow suit. 3) Given the long and amicable relations between the monarchies as well as the peoples of the two states and taking into consideration the importance of the rule of law and democratization in Thailand, the sensible step to take is to deny political asylum to the fugitive Thaksin Shinawatra, a move that would send the correct democratic message to Thailand and the rest of the world. People's Alliance for Democracy Source: http://nationmultimedia.com/2008/08/19/politics/politics_30080927.php UK warned in letter if Thaksin's asylum request is met, more non-democratic figures in Thailand will follow suit. (Read full letter inside)
Letters from PAD to U.K. Ambassador to Thailand
by Editor
August 19th , 2008
His Excellency
Mr. Quinton Mark Quayle
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland to Thailand
Your Excellency,
With reference to former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife, Khun Ying Pojaman Shinawatra, having jumped bail and fleeing to London last weekend and the subsequent arrest warrants issued by the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office Holders for the above-mentioned fugitives, the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) wishes to draw the British Government’s attention to the following points:
1) On 14 August 2008, during a session in the House of Representatives, Mr. Tej Bunnag, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, was asked about the impact of Former Prime Minister Thaksin’s statement on the image of Thailand’s judiciary system. In response, Minister Tej read to the House an official statement by the Kingdom’s Foreign Affairs Ministry on Thailand's judicial system saying that
“the Thai judicial system's internal, meticulous, and democratic selection process for judges has garnered widespread acceptance and respect from Thai society for its professionalism, high ethical standards, and independence from outside interference. For these reasons, the Thai public has always had strong faith in the integrity and impartiality of the Thai judiciary and knows that it can be counted upon”.
(Details of the Foreign Minister's answers are contained in the Press Release of the Department of Information of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs attached herewith.)
2) The original meaning of “democracy” is not merely majority rule but the capacity to do things, especially the capacity to pursue change in the public realm. Through popular, legal, and sovereign measures Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was recently brought on trial.
Thaksin was charged with abusing his power as prime minister by securing insider deals on real-estate purchases for family members. This is the first time in Thai political history that a former prime minister was brought on trial.
No doubt, as part of the governed, we see it as a positive sign, especially in terms of the rule of law and the transformation of the public sphere based on accountability and equality.
It shows that crimes are of great consequences regardless of the perpetrator's identity.
Used to living in a world of fixed heirarchies and gross inequalities, Thaksin fled the indictment to London and is planning to seek asylum in Britain.
Thaksin's request for political asylum in Britain must be turned down. If Thaksin is not brought back to face the charges against him in Thai courts, it will further contribute to the political and democratic deadlock and undermine the capacity to transform the public realm.
If Thaksin's request is met, it will set terrible precedence for other rich, powerful, and non-democratic figures in Thailand as well as elsewhere to follow suit.
3) Given the long and amicable relations between the monarchies as well as the peoples of the two states and taking into consideration the importance of the rule of law and democratization in Thailand, the sensible step to take is to deny political asylum to the fugitive Thaksin Shinawatra, a move that would send the correct democratic message to Thailand and the rest of the world.
People's Alliance for Democracy
Criminal Wanted: Pojamarn Shinawatra
Saturday, August 16, 2008 by Editor
A Thai judge has issued an arrest warrant for the country's former Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra. A warrant has also been issued for the billionaire's wife in connection with a corruption case against the couple. Thaksin was ousted from power by the Thai military last year after large demonstrations calling for him to resign because of alleged corruption and abuse and power. He has spent the intervening time living in England, where he recently bought Manchester City Football Club. The judge who issued the arrest warrants for Thaksin and his wife says he "has reason to believe that they are evading prosecution".
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