Thaksin’s interview with CNN is available here (but don’t tell the junta you are watching!). And a full transcript is available here (and reproduced at the end of this post). The Nation has written about the interview and reports the decision of some Thai TV stations not to broadcast it. And the Bangkok Post has an article about Thaksin’s travels upsetting the military regime. Apparently, if it was not for the travels (and now the CNN spot) all those gormless Thaksin supporters would have forgotten all about him.
Deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s movements overseas are making the interim government uneasy, according to Air Chief Marshal Chalit Phukbhasuk, vice chairman of the Council for National Security (CNS) which deposed Thaksin. Thaksin was in New York attending UN meetings when the CNS deposed his government in a bloodless coup last September 19. Since then he has made “personal” visits to Britain, China, Indonesia, and most recently Singapore, and Thai officials have said they feel he is doing so to keep himself in the news so his supporters will not forget him. Thaksin’s travels, including his most recent to Singapore, have made the military-appointed interim government uneasy and the government needs to come up with some actions. Last week the government revoked Thaksin and his wife’s diplomatic passports, giving them two weeks to transfer any visas to a regular passport.
UPDATE: In case anyone is having trouble accessing the CNN site, here is the transcript of the interview:
SINGAPORE (CNN) — CNN’s Dan Rivers spoke to ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The following is a transcript of the interview. Rivers began by asking Shinawatra about his alleged involvement in New Year bombings in Bangkok.
Shinawatra: It’s baseless allegations. No one believes so. Because everyone knows who is, who am I. I come from election, I come from the people. I owe gratitude to our people. I do everything for the good of the country and the people. I don’t do something that’s stupid.
Rivers: So you had no involvement.
Shinawatra: Not involvement at all. But I would like to express my deep sympathy, deepest sympathy for those who lose, lost their loved ones and also all those who are injured. And the individuals who are involved must be brought to justice.
Rivers: This is the first time you’ve spoken since the coup of September the 19th, first of all, you were in the United States, in New York at the U.N., when this happened, how did you find out that this was going on?
Shinawatra: Well I find out just about four, five hours before, before it happened, but I trying to get into the television station but it’s very difficult at that time I cannot get into it until I can get into channel 9 briefly, but you know, which I, it’s a rumors at that time but I don’t believe that this can happen again in the 21st century.
Rivers: So it was surprise when it happened?
Shinawatra: It’s very surprise because you know, but anyway 70 years in Thailand, 17 coup happened is very unfortunate but it’s, it’s an event that happened here in Thailand.
Rivers: Will you go back to, back to politics?
Shinawatra: No. No. (DR: Go back as a private … ) Enough is enough. Six years you serve the countries. You been working hard. You sacrifice your time even your life. And, even your family life. So it’s, it’s time for me to go back as a private citizen. And contribute to the Thai society outside political arena.
13 responses so far ↓
1 Republican // Jan 16, 2007 at 12:11 pm
Sufficiency Media Coverage: My sources tell me that the link you give leads to a “The page can not be displayed” in Thailand – i.e. one would assume it has been blocked. The CNN signal was definitely blocked in Thailand during the times the interview was aired, and access in Thailand to the CNN and BBC websites also appear to have been blocked, presumably for carrying the story. Still we should not complain. Along with everything else we should be satisfied with the media coverage the royalist regime allows us to have. I am beginning to think like O’Brian: “I love Big Brother!”
2 Vichai N. // Jan 16, 2007 at 12:50 pm
This is getting ridiculous!
PM Surayud should stop the nonsense, be unafraid, and bring back Thaksin Shinawatra to Thailand. PM Surayud’s government has already started filing many corruption/tax evasion charges against Thaksin’s family and cronies and Thaksin Shinawatra is at the center of all these allegations. It will be very awkward to formally begin the formal process of adjudicating on these allegations when Thaksin Shinawatra is not allowed to appear in person in Thailand to defend himself.
Thaksin Shinawatra has said many many times that he is willing to return to Thailand to face the charges. Now that the charges are being filed, Thaksin Shinawatra should be allowed to return.
3 Big Brother lover // Jan 16, 2007 at 12:51 pm
I live in Thailand and yes, the whole CNN.com website looks like it is being blocked.
4 nganadeeleg // Jan 16, 2007 at 1:48 pm
“Rivers: Will you go back to, back to politics?
Shinawatra: No. No. (DR: Go back as a private … ) Enough is enough. Six years you serve the countries. You been working hard. You sacrifice your time even your life. And, even your family life. So it’s, it’s time for me to go back as a private citizen. And contribute to the Thai society outside political arena.”
Can we believe him (this time) ?
I’m more worried about him being vindictive, and using his wealth to cause trouble.
5 Srithanonchai // Jan 16, 2007 at 2:56 pm
Thaksin is a real “people’s hero”, doing everything for the people and the country. Well, at least he did well for some people, such as in the Shin Corp sale that triggered the protests when Sonthi Limthongkul was about to leave the scene, and eventually led to the coup. But, surely, Thaksin would never do anything “stupid”!
6 Republican // Jan 16, 2007 at 4:16 pm
I wonder if CNN knows that its website and signal in Thailand have been blocked, (apparently the website is back up now). That would be an interesting news story in itself.
Who knows what else the royalist regime might want to block its Thai subjects from knowing – bad economic news, international criticism of the regime, unwanted results from the English premier league; the list could be endless. But such censorship is entirely in keeping with nature of royalist hegemony over the Thai polity: it can only survive by controlling what its subjects see and hear. Hence the central importance of lese majeste to the survival of the ratchakan state. Without lese majeste the entire edifice of royalist power in Thailand would collapse. Even the UNDP would find it difficult to save them.
7 Lleij Samuel Schwartz // Jan 16, 2007 at 7:35 pm
I have to agree with Vichai on this.
What ever happened to “keep your friends close and your enemies even closer”?
8 anonymous // Jan 16, 2007 at 8:43 pm
Thaksin once said that if the King whispered to him and told him to leave, he would leave. Well, the coup was more than a whisper – it was a thunderclap.
As long as the current King reigns, Thaksin has no chance in politics. His retirement from politics is wise and realistic.
9 SiXBkk // Jan 17, 2007 at 12:08 pm
I have one question to ask the CNN, Did former PM. Thaksin Shinnawatra hire you to interview and broadcast worldwide? How much he paid for such the short and stupid interview?
10 FCCNN // Jan 21, 2007 at 1:23 pm
the interview was nonsense. How on earth Rivers had thught about asking this clown those questions. It’s like asking the liar of his involvement in a very serious crime. No one with a clear mind would say yes to this kind of question.
11 yes // Jan 21, 2007 at 9:28 pm
I’m pro him because he did manything for rural thais. It’s joke if he became the tyrant. I’m think that thai people being confront with really tyrant now. They’ll knowing about real propaganda that what is it. It’s being influence thai people now, everyday when I’m wake till I’m sleep the medias’ll shoots about the suff-eco campaign all day long. It’s good…….
12 Peter Chuthar // Jan 22, 2007 at 1:52 am
Thaksin is a liar. He never keeps what he said. He used money to buy the votes in the election. He also bought politicians to join his party. He bought senators, judges and used his influence as a prime mister to ask the government offericers to corrupt and acted for his own benefits including his closed relatives and friends. He is a debit to Thailand and to the country in the long run. Many thinks he promised, he was not able to achieve.
13 Hello Kitty // Jun 2, 2007 at 12:21 pm
Thaksin is SHIT. He is Thailand’s Hitler.
He’ll burn in eternal hell …. and suffer for the rest of his life.
DIE DIE DIE
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