Former Thai PM Thaksin points finger of blame

Fugitive former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra made an angry video address to 13,000 of his protesting supporters Friday, blaming the revered king's main advisers for his downfall.

The exiled billionaire spoke for the second day running to an anti-government rally surrounding prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's offices as protesters called for fresh elections to return Thaksin's allies to power.

In a 75-minute speech beamed from a giant screen on stage, Thaksin told the crowd that the men behind the coup that deposed him in 2006 were two former premiers, General Prem Tinsulanonda and General Surayud Chulanont.

Both now act as key advisers to the country's revered king.

"Prem is the mastermind behind everything, along with Surayud, that led to all this mess," Thaksin told the crowd from an undisclosed location outside Thailand.

"The king and queen are not involved in politics but the counsellor Prem has exploited the monarchy," he told the crowd, estimated to be 13,000-strong by police.

Prem led the country's government during the 1980s, while Surayud was in charge of the military-led administration that ran the country following Thaksin's ouster until elections in December 2007.

Thaksin, currently living in exile to avoid a two-year jail sentence for corruption, is likely to deepen the political chasm in Thailand with his accusation.

But Abhisit has refused to bow to the protesters' calls, telling reporters he would not be swayed by demands shouted from the street, a week after his government easily survived a vote of no confidence in parliament.

"Whether I resign or do not resign from my position will be determined in accordance with normal political processes," he said.

Police said the protest crowd had dwindled Friday from an estimated 35,000 people who gathered a day earlier to hear Thaksin deliver his first address to the rally by telephone.

However, security remained high all day with 6,000 soldiers and 3,200 police on duty.

Thaksin concluded his speech calling for new elections in Thailand but promising not to stand for office.

He said he wanted "to start from a new beginning with constitutional reform, no more court fights, no more counsellors or military involved in politics," as he awaits a court hearing on 2.2 billion dollars of his frozen assets.

"I want parliament to be dissolved and a new election called, but I won't stand for election," he said to loud applause from the crowd, dressed in red to signal their loyalty to him.

The populist former leader still attracts widespread support among the rural poor, whom he wooed while in power, while others, in particular the country's elite, accused him of graft and authoritarianism.

The crowd began to disperse after Thaksin's speech, but protest leader Nattawut Saikuar vowed the rally would continue indefinitely.

"The army will not allow him to drag the institution into politics," he said.



Kasahara

Prices, review, pictures

Prices, review, pictures

Listings provided by Cars.com