Kasit ruffled by the refuge given ex-PM

Bangkok Post
Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya says he is uneasy that certain governments have allowed Thaksin Shinawatra to use their countries to attack Thailand.Mr Kasit did not name them, but said yesterday Thai envoys in countries which do not have extradition treaties with Thailand had informed their host governments of the former prime minister's status and of how he had stirred up a political crisis at home.They include countries in Latin America, the Middle East and Africa.Among the countries that do not have an extradition treaty with Thailand is the United Arab Emirates. Dubai in the UAE has been used by Thaksin as a base. Thaksin also has a Nicaraguan passport.The government is seeking to extradite the former premier to serve a two-year jail sentence for abuse of authority in the Ratchadaphisek land case.He would be treated the same as any other person who escapes charges and flees to another country, Mr Kasit said. Thaksin has made regular phone-ins from unknown locations to address red-shirt protesters outside Government House.Mr Kasit said authorities were verifying a report that the exiled leader was taking shelter in Cambodia. If this was confirmed, then the relationship between Bangkok and Phnom Penh would be at risk, he said.He was also upset at the long delay by the Council of State in considering the proposed revocation of Thaksin's ordinary passport.The matter was forwarded to the government's legal arm five months ago but the ministry has still not received a reply.The ministry could make a decision right away but needed advice from the Council of State to set a standard to be used for other cases, he said.Thaksin has challenged the government to strip him of his ordinary passport. His diplomatic "red" passport given to him when he was prime minister has been cancelled.Mr Kasit said he planned to raise the matter with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.Tomorrow the Foreign Ministry will hold a briefing with Bangkok-based diplomats to explain the continuing legal proceedings against Thaksin.The planned briefing follows Thaksin's stepped-up attacks against the government, Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda and two other privy councillors, Surayud Chulanont and Pichitr Kullavanijaya.Gen Prem and Gen Surayud have been accused by Thaksin of being involved in engineering the coup plot against him.