Chamlong Srimuang, a crusader for Buddhist virtues in Thai politics who helped topple Thailand's last military government, yesterday joined the swelling ranks of those calling for the resignation of Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
"The people have lost faith in Thaksin," said Chamlong, formerly the prime minister's political mentor and close ally. "I'll join the protest on February 26 calling for his resignation."
Chamlong, the founder of the Palang Dharma Party (Power of Dharma) that launched Thaksin's political career, said Thaksin had squandered his credibility with the sale last month of his family-owned Shin Corp -- Thailand's largest telecommunication conglomerate -- to Singapore's Temasek Holding.
Thaksin's family managed the 73.3 billion baht (US$1.9 billion) sale through the stock exchange in such a way as to avoid paying any taxes.
The government also pushed through legislation allowing foreigners to own up to 49 percent in telecommunications companies just days before the massive transaction, sparking new criticisms that Thaksin has used his five years in power to benefit his private business dealings.
Since the sale an anti-Thaksin coalition has gained mass.
What started as weekly Friday evening diatribes led by media maverick Sondhi Limthongkul, another former friend of Thaksin's turned foe, has become an alliance of potentially powerful forces against the prime minister.
Thaksin has thus far spurned the protesters as "stupid" and refused all calls for his resignation on the grounds that his Thai Rak Thai Party won 19 million votes in the last year's general election, giving him an unprecedented mandate in Thailand's long history of fractious politics.
Anti-Thaksin rallies earlier this month drew more than 60,000 people, with protesters including academics, members of the middle class, teachers, students and farmers.
The alliance has scheduled a mass rally in Bangkok for next Sunday to demand the prime minister's resignation.
Chamlong's decision to join the rally is significant. Chamlong led similar mass demonstrations against the appointment of Army General Suchinda Kraprayoon to the premiership in May 1992, ending in a bloody showdown between troops and protesters that left more than 100 people dead or missing.
Suchinda was forced to resign in the wake of the bloodbath.
LANDMARK CASE: ‘Every night we were dragged to US soldiers and sexually abused. Every week we were forced to undergo venereal disease tests,’ a victim said More than 100 South Korean women who were forced to work as prostitutes for US soldiers stationed in the country have filed a landmark lawsuit accusing Washington of abuse, their lawyers said yesterday. Historians and activists say tens of thousands of South Korean women worked for state-sanctioned brothels from the 1950s to 1980s, serving US troops stationed in country to protect the South from North Korea. In 2022, South Korea’s top court ruled that the government had illegally “established, managed and operated” such brothels for the US military, ordering it to pay about 120 plaintiffs compensation. Last week, 117 victims
China on Monday announced its first ever sanctions against an individual Japanese lawmaker, targeting China-born Hei Seki for “spreading fallacies” on issues such as Taiwan, Hong Kong and disputed islands, prompting a protest from Tokyo. Beijing has an ongoing spat with Tokyo over islands in the East China Sea claimed by both countries, and considers foreign criticism on sensitive political topics to be acts of interference. Seki, a naturalised Japanese citizen, “spread false information, colluded with Japanese anti-China forces, and wantonly attacked and smeared China”, foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters on Monday. “For his own selfish interests, (Seki)
Argentine President Javier Milei on Sunday vowed to “accelerate” his libertarian reforms after a crushing defeat in Buenos Aires provincial elections. The 54-year-old economist has slashed public spending, dismissed tens of thousands of public employees and led a major deregulation drive since taking office in December 2023. He acknowledged his party’s “clear defeat” by the center-left Peronist movement in the elections to the legislature of Buenos Aires province, the country’s economic powerhouse. A deflated-sounding Milei admitted to unspecified “mistakes” which he vowed to “correct,” but said he would not be swayed “one millimeter” from his reform agenda. “We will deepen and accelerate it,” he
Japan yesterday heralded the coming-of-age of Japanese Prince Hisahito with an elaborate ceremony at the Imperial Palace, where a succession crisis is brewing. The nephew of Japanese Emperor Naruhito, Hisahito received a black silk-and-lacquer crown at the ceremony, which marks the beginning of his royal adult life. “Thank you very much for bestowing the crown today at the coming-of-age ceremony,” Hisahito said. “I will fulfill my duties, being aware of my responsibilities as an adult member of the imperial family.” Although the emperor has a daughter — Princess Aiko — the 23-year-old has been sidelined by the royal family’s male-only
RSS