Supporters will have to forgive injustices
* Published: 17/05/2011 at 12:00 AM
* Newspaper section: News
BRUNEI:Pheu Thai Party's supporters will have to forgive their enemies if theparty returns to power at the election, says its de facto head, ThaksinShinawatra.
Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra speaks in Dubai during an interview with Post Today.
Challengingimpressions of himself as a decisive leader who might like to seekrevenge for the 2006 coup which unseated him, Thaksin said forgivenesswill be difficult, but necessary if the country is to move on from thepolitical ructions of the past.
Thaksin said the party'ssupporters, backed by the red shirt movement, will have to forgive andforget. The Abhisit government and the administration which supports itshould have no reason to fear.
"Pheu Thai Party, and in particular our red shirt supporters, have suffered the most [from the political unrest].
"Ifthose who have suffered the most can accept things and let things be,and not think about retribution, then achieving resolution will beeasier," Thaksin said.
"After the election, after Pheu Thai wins, it has to be clear that there will be no retribution taken.
"Those who have suffered, forgive and forget and look forward together to the future."
Theprospect of a Pheu Thai victory _ and Thaksin's return to Thailand _raises new uncertainties for the country's political stability.
Manyof his supporters remain bitter about the September 2006 coup and thepolitical shadow games that enabled the Democrats and Abhisit Vejjajivato take power in December 2008.
But Thaksin, who entered exilein 2008 to escape criminal corruption charges, insisted that he wascommitted to work for social harmony and peace.
"Retributiononly breeds more resentment, more enemies. Life will have no peace. Ifyou know how to let things go, then you can have peace," Thaksin said,acknowledging that his decisive leadership style may lead some tobelieve that he was a vengeful person.
Those who have sufferedfrom past turmoil, whether it be supporters of the disbanded Thai RakThai Party or its red shirt supporters, must let go of the past ifreconciliation is to be achieved and Thailand return to a functionaldemocracy where the rule of law is paramount, he said.
"If PheuThai Party forms the next government, both the party and the red shirtswill have to swallow our pains and extend our hands to all parties tohelp bring peace to our country," Thaksin said.
"It's painful, but we need to forgive."
Thaksin,whose second term was interrupted by large street protests mounted bythe "yellow shirts" and then by the September 2006 military coup, saidan "unfinished revolution" remained underway, compromising the rule oflaw and justice within the country.
The celebrations this yearfor His Majesty the King's 84th birthday, completing his 7th cycle,should be enough motivation for all parties to cease fighting and jointogether as one.
Thaksin brushed off questions about the seizureof 46 billion baht in personal funds by the Supreme Court in February2010. "That's not an issue. The real issue is justice. If my assets arereturned, it can only come about through the system, not by somearbitrary law," he said.
The Supreme Court ruled thattelecommunications policies enacted during the Thaksin governmentbenefited Thaksin's own personal interests as the founder and majorshareholder of telecom giant Shin Corp.
The Shinawatra family sold its holdings in Shin Corp to Singapore's Temasek Holdings in January 2006 for 73 billion baht.
Thaksinalso dismissed questions about his allegiance to the monarchy, notingthat in June 2006 he helped organise festivities marking His Majesty's60th anniversary of accession to the throne.
"Three months later, the military launched the coup and alleged that I was disloyal.
"Howcan it be that in just three months a loyal subject becomes a disloyalone, to the extent that a revolution is needed," he said.
"All this has been slander and innuendo against me, simply for political gain."
Thaksin said Pheu Thai and the red shirts should be considered separate entities.
PheuThai is a political party registered under the constitution, while thered shirt movement could be broadly classified as supporters of Thaksinhimself and those who see the events of the past several years as acorruption of justice and democracy. "Both sides share the same goal, areturn of justice and democracy," Thaksin said.
He said he was ambivalent about a possible return to politics and the premiership.
"IfI had to [become prime minister] just for a short time, just to solvethe country's problems, I could do so. But if you ask if I want to, Iam neutral about it," he said.
"Someone who has been where I have been, has already passed the stage of ambition.
"If someone told me that it's not necessary, that others can do the job, I would be very grateful."
Thaksin,speaking in an exclusive interview with Post Today editors in Dubai,insisted that he held no grudges nor was bitter over the travails hehas suffered over the past several years.
He expressedconfidence that Pheu Thai, formed from supporters of the disbanded ThaiRak Thai Party, would win the election comfortably and form the nextgovernment.
The party still enjoyed strong support across thecountry, while the Democrats had put in a "lacklustre" performance overthe past two years.
Pheu Thai executives plan to meet today todecide on its list candidates for the election. They are likely tochoose Thaksin's younger sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, as the firstcandidate on the list and the party's nominee for prime minister.
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