It did not take long for Thaksin to signal with his actions that he has not given up. If you detected a muffled anger and not despair in his spokesman’s statement, you would be right.
Despite Thaksin getting his passport pulled, and that he now sports a brand new arrest warrant, he continues to charge on adding more people to his payback list.
Quoting The Nation:
Thaksin flies to Africa after his passport was revoked
Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra defied Thai government last night by leaving Dubai hours after his passport was revoked.
Dubai-based 7Days newspaper reported that Thaksin has refused to accept that his passport is cancelled was due to fly to a secret location in Africa.
“The government can talk all they want but it’s not going to stop us. Every Thai person is entitled to a passport and it cannot simply be revoked,” a spokesman travelling with Thaksin said last night.
He said Thaksin was in very good form and relaxed. “He’s not all that worried, he’s really fine, given all that’s going on right now,” the spokesman said.
He talked to 7DAYS as Thaksin called for calm among thousands of his supporters involved in mass anti-government demonstrations.
“Basically, we cannot go into Thailand at the moment but he will travel on his passport to other countries.
“We are going somewhere in Africa, obviously I cannot say where,” the spokesperson said, adding that Thaksin expected foreign governments to continue to accept his passport.
The revocation of Thaksin’s passport stepped up the Thai government’s campaign against the billionaire former prime minister, who now lives in Dubai’s Emirates Hills.
He fled Thailand in 2006 after he was convicted of corruption charges and has claimed the trial was politically motivated.
This week the government placed new charges of incitement on Thaksin for allegedly stirring up the anti-government protests.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has vowed to prosecute all leaders of the rallies, which largely disbanded on Tuesday after troops threatened to use force against thousands of demonstrators.
Government spokesman Panitan Wattana-yagorn said Thaksin’s passport was withdrawn for inciting protests that forced the cancellation of a summit of Asian leaders on Saturday.
All things considered Thaksin is on the run and now perhaps looking for a new base closer than Nicaragua who may have provided him a new Diplomatic Passport as of February. So doing a process of elimination Thaksin would need to be in a country who has relationships with Nicaragua, or another country who has a dictator who likes Thaksin. Zimbabwe may be a good choice as their money is worthless.
However seeing that Thaksin is about to start trashing the face of Nicaragua if he does have that passport, there may be some reconsideration about that passport. Nicaragua may have seen some monetary gain from Thaksin, but that was before the riots in Thailand and the assault on the Asean Summit. Also Thaksin will be doing little if any work for Nicaragua as he is more concerned about other things.
The dust is still settling, however it is abundantly clear Thaksin has not given up.
I am not sure why the current government has arrest warrants on as many people as they currently do.
As I mentioned 2 days ago and Farang Rak Thai mentioned yesterday, this is a perfect opportunity to try and find some middle ground and bring Thailand closer together.
Arresting a few key red shirts is one thing. Arrest warrants on over 30 red shirts when tensions are still high and yellow shirt leaders walk the streets with immunity presents the real threat of creating an even deeper divide than already exists (something I would have thought impossible 2 days ago).
If Abhisit can keep control of the military so as to quell any more uprisings while also reaching out to red shirt leaders and adopting some real reforms, there is a much greater chance of finding some unity and eliminating or reducing any threat of Thaksin.
However, the stance that the government seems to be taking right now clearly has me worried. Abhisit does not seem intent on taking advantage of his clear momentum; a gaffe that will likely lead to more discontent in the not too distant future. I realize it is still early in this new game and he clearly has an opportunity to capitalize, but he must take some clear action to mend the fences and develop reforms.