Sour grapes grow in London
Written by Writer on Monday, October 27th, 2008
Sour grapes grow in London
Thaksin’s outburst against the court’s ruling merely reaffirms his contempt for the principle of good governance, accountability and transparency - and his over-confidence that he could escape scot-free. COMMENTARY by Veera Prateepchaikul
Veera Prateepchaikul is Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Post Publishing Co Ltd.
Like a sore loser in a soccer match who blames the referee for his team’s loss rather than admit it was the poor performance of his players or lousy coaching, deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has protested vigorously that he was robbed of justice by the Thai judiciary and that he is as pure as the driven snow. This, in sports terminology, is called “sour grapes”.
One day after the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions handed him a two-year jail sentence after finding him guilty of breaching the anti-corruption law, Thaksin issued a statement to the foreign news services protesting the verdict. He said he was convicted not because he was found guilty of corruption or malfeasance in office but because “I am a politician and a successful politician who was twice elected prime minister by the majority of the people”.
The fugitive former leader of Thailand slammed what he charged was a “conspiracy” by the privileged elitists who have been hell-bent on destroying him because he was seen as a “threat” to them and also because “I am the representative of liberal democracy who inspires the hope and pride of the poor people in my country”.
He railed that his only crime was that he had shown to the underprivileged and poor rural inhabitants that they could demand of their government policies and projects that would improve their livelihood.
A champion of liberal democracy! A Robin Hood of the poor! How touching! A good guy fighting all the bad guys, especially those in the Thai justice system and the elite class. That seems to be the gist of his message to his supporters at home who will undoubtedly fall for it without question.
First of all, his conviction. He is right that there was no evidence to prove he was corrupt or misused his power in connection with the purchase of the Ratchadaphisek land by his wife, Khunying Potjaman.
What he omitted to mention is that he violated the anti-graft law which forbids a political office holder to enter into a contract with a state agency or having a vested interest in that contract which, in this case, involved a land deal secured by his wife. He cannot claim to know nothing about the law.
Or that the law was specifically written to go after him or his family because the law had been in force before the land deal.
This provision was crafted with the intention to set a new standard for our gutter politicians - that they must act ethically and not get involved in conflicts of interest.
Thaksin’s outburst against the court’s ruling merely reaffirms his contempt for the principle of good governance, accountability and transparency. His claim that there was a conspiracy by the elitists to go after him is pure fantasy. The Ratchadaphisek land deal as well as the other cases against him pending in the court or pending with the Office of the Attorney-General are not fabricated, but are all of his own making, probably out of his own over-confidence that he could escape scot-free.
Last but not least, Thaksin’s claim of being a champion of liberal democracy is a big joke. What he truely believes in is certainly not liberal democracy but democracy by the majority wherein the voices of the minority are muzzled or ignored. He seems to have conveniently forgotten that during his administration the press were hugely intimidated and freedom interfered with. Also under his administration, his sanctioned war on drugs claimed more than 2,000 lives, many of them innocent people.
But Thaksin’s statement to the foreign media which was riddled with half-truths and lies in order to paint this country in a negative light does not seem to satisfy his passion for revenge. Apparently with the collaboration of his faithful cronies at home, the deposed prime minister wants to deliver another message - it was to be transmitted live to his supporters at Rajamangala stadium on Saturday via the state-owned NBT television station. That it is now not going to happen is perhaps a relief to those who are growing tired of his protestations.
But it’s likely he’ll comment on the internet and his remarks reported later on NBT. So what will he say to his supporters? If he has good intentions towards the country, he can try to cool tempers or to bring about national reconciliation. Given his “loose cannon” nature and his attack on the judiciary and the so-called elite who he claims have ganged up on him, it is doubtful he will change his tune. What if he chooses to behave like a demogogue to whip up the sentiment of his supporters?
With the atmosphere as tense as it is now, Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat cannot just sit idly by.
Bangkok Post
Monday October 27, 2008
