Thaksin's travels 'a bid to boost bargaining power'

The Straits Times, January 20, 2007
By Nirmal Ghosh, THAILAND CORRESPONDENT IN BANGKOK and Kwan Weng Kin, JAPAN CORRESPONDENT IN TOKYO


Analysts say he is trying to fortify his position so he can return to Thailand

MR THAKSIN Shinawatra is travelling around the region in an apparent move to generate publicity and create pressure on the Thai government, analysts said.

They said his intention could be to strengthen his bargaining position with a view to returning to Thailand.

Few analysts and senior Thai officials buy the former premier's assurances that he is no longer interested in politics.

In view of this, his actions during a visit in Hong Kong left many puzzled.

Yesterday's edition of the Hong Kong daily South China Morning Post quoted unnamed sources as saying that Mr Thaksin had met lobbyists from US firm Barbour Griffith and Rogers (BGR) in the Chinese territory last week.

The BGR executives he met included former US assistant secretary of state Stephen Rademaker and Mr Ed Rogers, a former White House staff under the Republican administrations of Messrs Ronald Reagan and George Bush.

Mr Thaksin arrived in Japan on Thursday from Singapore, via Beijing.

An Associated Press report quoted a Japanese Foreign Ministry official as saying that no meetings were scheduled between Mr Thaksin and Japanese government officials.

'We have our relations with the current Thai government to consider... We are aware that the government is very sensitive about this issue,' said the spokesman.

Concern is growing in the region about Mr Thaksin's movements in the wake of the furore in Thailand over his Singapore visit.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao reportedly told Thai Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont that he was uncomfortable with visits to China by Mr Thaksin, who has spent considerable time there in recent weeks.

General Surayud reportedly told senior editors and columnists from eight Thai newspapers yesterday that Mr Wen had informed him 'China was not giving special treatment to Thaksin and no government official met him, only businessmen', Daily News senior executive Kamheang Puritanont told reporters.

But Gen Surayud also told them Mr Thaksin 'could return (to Thailand) but we have to consider conditions first. We need to discuss it first'.

Mr Kamheang quoted Gen Surayud as saying: 'It's his right to travel from country to country and give interviews. But the main point was when he meets their ministers, which is the equivalent of (them) recognising the previous government.'

Meanwhile, Thai Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram yesterday said he had personally warned his Singaporean counterpart George Yeo that there would be 'reactions' from Thailand if Mr Thaksin was received by Singapore Deputy Prime Minister S. Jayakumar last weekend, The Nation reported.

'I told him 'we cannot accept the fact that Thaksin is going to be received by Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister',' Mr Nitya told the senior editors at their lunch meeting with Gen Surayud yesterday.

'I emphasised that it was something unacceptable.'

He said while other countries were sensitive to the Thai government's stand on Mr Thaksin, Singapore had made itself an exception.

Yet, it has not escaped notice that Mr Thaksin's trip to Singapore has drawn a stronger reaction than his visits elsewhere, including to China and Indonesia.

He travelled to Bali in November and met Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Social Welfare Aburizal Bakrie.

Thais have shown strong support for the military government's move to suspend a high-level meeting with Singapore and cancel a joint programme, a poll has found.

More than 64 per cent of 1,572 respondents said they agreed with the Thai government's reaction, while 18 per cent disagreed. The rest had no comment.