PM denies plot to kill Thaksin

Published: 20/12/2009

(CAAI News Media)

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Saturday dismissed an opposition claim that an assassination plot had been hatched against Thaksin Shinawatra, insisting that the government would only use legal means to bring him back to serve his two-year jail sentence.

In his first comment on the leak of a classified document to the Puea Thai Party from a source at the Foreign Ministry, the prime minister, speaking from Copenhagen, said the government would strictly abide by the law in its efforts to bring back Thaksin.

"I have no idea where that document came from. But I can assure you that the government will not take any unlawful steps in seeking his return," he said.

Only extradition treaties the government has signed with other countries would be used to try to bring the convicted former prime minister back to serve his time, he said.

Thaksin was sentenced in October last year while he was out of the country to a two-year jail term in the Ratchadaphisek land case for helping his ex-wife acquire a prime piece of state land at a heavily discounted price.

Puea Thai representative Jatuporn Prompan, a leader of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, on Friday unveiled a secret document, dated Nov 16, that he claimed was prepared for the prime minister by Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya.

The document, which mainly focused on how Thailand should handle its relations with Cambodia amid the diplomatic spats, described Thaksin as a "key factor" in the destabilisation of the government. The Thaksin threat needed to be tackled, it said.

Mr Jatuporn interpreted it as a life-threatening measure against Thaksin. After the document was disclosed, the ministry set up a panel to find out how it ended up in the hands of the opposition.

Acting government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said only a few senior officials were aware of the existence of the classified paper.

Mr Jatuporn yesterday indicated that the opposition party and the UDD will not end its efforts to bring down the government and denied any wrongdoing in revealing the contents of the confidential document to the public.

The prime minister condemned the opposition party, saying it had gone too far by using dirty tricks which were damaging to the government and the country.