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No escaping Thaksin

Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is greeted by supporters at the Royal Park Rajapruek in Chiang Mai last Thursday. (Photo: Panumet Tanraksa)
Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is greeted by supporters at the Royal Park Rajapruek in Chiang Mai last Thursday. (Photo: Panumet Tanraksa)

Pheu Thai's attempt to prevent any discussion concerning former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in the upcoming general debate may prove to be counterproductive to the party's efforts to win back its popularity.

Krumanit Sangphum, a Pheu Thai MP for Surin, recently insisted the party won't allow anyone to bring up any issues relating to the paroled ex-PM, citing a House regulation which prohibits discussions of a personal nature during debates.

The MP for Surin, who is also a deputy government whip, said as Thaksin is an "outsider", there cannot be any discussion about him in parliament. He even threatened to file a lawsuit against MPs who chose to ignore his warnings.

Whether Thaksin is truly an outsider, as Mr Krumanit claimed, is up for debate. Some observers see him as just another public figure, while others see him as the de facto leader of Pheu Thai.

Thaksin was sentenced to prison shortly after he decided to end his 17-year-long self-imposed exile over several graft charges. While he was sentenced to eight years in jail, he did not even stay one night in prison -- instead, he spent 180 days at the Police General Hospital, citing various health problems. The fact that his jail term was slashed to just one year by a royal pardon right before his hospital stay raises further questions about the special privileges rendered to the former prime minister.

His claims of ill health have come under further scrutiny after he was seen healthy when he received Cambodian strongman Hun Sen at his Ban Chan Song La residence on Feb 21 -- just two days after he left the hospital on Feb 19.

Recently, he sought permission from the Probation Department to visit his hometown in Chiang Mai, saying he wanted to pay his respects to his ancestors after a long period of absence. Once again, he appeared in good health throughout the three-day private trip, which ended up becoming a public spectacle as he ended up meeting with senior government officials. He even had dinner with Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and former PM Somchai Wongsawat, Thaksin's brother-in-law.

Thaksin is already planning another trip to Chiang Mai to celebrate Songkran next month. By picking Chiang Mai, a former Pheu Thai stronghold, as his destination, many are wondering if the trips are part of a larger plan to win back political support.

Like it or not, Mr Krumanit and Pheu Thai have to learn that our society has a "Thaksin problem". This is not a matter of finding faults or splitting hairs, as claimed by the Surin MP and others in the party.

Calls are growing for the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) to investigate if any regulations were abused for the benefit of Thaksin.

The Ministry of Justice and the various state agencies it oversees owe the public an explanation of what appears to be a case of double standards, especially since the case has eroded public trust in the country's justice system.

Pheu Thai should be aware that its supporters have changed over the years, with many having shifted their loyalty elsewhere. The party support base was substantially eroded when it failed to keep its promise not to align with junta-leaning parties under the past administration. This is the cost Pheu Thai must pay for its actions in the last election. Unless the party comes clean and allows Thaksin to be scrutinised, the cost will be dearer.


This article was downloaded by calibre from https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/2761308/no-escaping-thaksin


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