CNN Thaksin Interview with Transcript 2009-04-13

INTERVIEWER:
Mr Thaksin, thank you very much for being with us. You have called for a revolution,
and you are saying you may head back to Thailand when you feel ready.
When do you think that is?

(delay ~3 seconds)
THAKSIN:
Well I just would like to encourage the Thai people who really want to see the true democracy in Thailand
because we have been deceived that we already have the true democracy but it is actually the democracy for few.
We want to see democracy for all, and that is the reason why the people they are now gathering.
They want to, they just come with bare hand, they want to ask for democracy peacefully.
But I don’t know how it is end up this way. It is a very, very brutal ?????.

INTERVIEWER:
The difficulty in understanding that idea that you are presenting right now the idea of democracy in Thailand
is that there was democracy when the last government was ousted in December
because they were and a court found them guilty of electoral fraud for buying votes.
Where is democracy in that?
So there seems to be a lot of confusion as to what the Thai people really want.

THAKSIN:
You know in Thailand many institution has been intervened by the elite groups and it is not true democracy.
Many independent agency have no responsibility directly to the people,
and they can sack the politicians that come directly from people, and the unjustice or double standard is there.
That is the reason why the Thai people are not happy. They have been watching double standards for three years and double standard is really injustice.
They have been watching it for three years, and the suppression of the red shirts is really the extreme example for the double standard.
So that's the reason why they are trying to come out.

INTERVIEWER:
When do you plan to go back to Thailand? Are you ready to possibly face jail time?

THAKSIN:
Well, you know I am ready to go when the timing is right, but now I like to see the peaceful protest for the democracy.
Actually you know they are all innocent people, they come with bare hand,
and they are asking for the true democracy and justice but you know they got undemocratic ways back and also with a lot of brutal suppression.
If you can notice what happening in Pattaya and what is happening in front of the Ministry of Interior and what is going on this morning
and the Thai press now has been intervened completely they cannot speak the truth
so now even the spokesman of the army is coming to lie to the people
that they are not using the true bullet they are using blank bullet, and they shot to the sky but actually they aim horizontally.
They shot the people so many people dying and many people injured they hospitalize at least sixty of them.
Now there is still going on suppression.

INTERVIEWER:
Sir, there is democracy, the point that you make, but then there is also the rule of law.
You have also been accused and convicted of corruption. (Thaksin: Yes yes)
How can the Thai people trust you?

THAKSIN:
No no no no. No no. I think you know
I have been ousted by military coup, they set up the committee comprised of those who are in my political opponents you know and then the process that they are doing is really unconstitutional. It's one court system.
I think the system is not really democratic. So that is the reason why the people are asking for true democracy.
It is not just democracy under the control of some elite groups or military, you know,
or the president of privy council intervenes everything.
Even during my administration he intervene in even at the military appointments and reshuffle.
The intervene is there and if you look at the independent agency or constitutional court, pardon

INTERVIEWER:
So sir, what are you prepared to do right now?

THAKSIN:
I would like to urge every party that come together peacefully, not just by using force.
You know war never ended with war, and violence beget violence.
I don’t think that is the right approach.
And you trying to lie to the whole world, you are trying to lie to the people,
but you know in Thailand we have the old saying that when the elephant die you cannot cover it with a small lotus leaf.
It is impossible. You are trying to cover everything.
You trying to saying that you use the police-liked control, actually it's army, it’s from the division one and the division two.
So that is, they shot the people. They aim the M16 to the people, in the horizontal level and many people dying.
If you can see the pictures that I show, they shot at the heart of the man and the man dead.
And then they even take the dead bodies on the military truck and then take them away. Just trying to conceal everything.

I want everyone to come together peacefully.

INTERVIEWER:
Okay sir thank you very much, we appreciate your time.


credit to Splatter www.thaivisa.com forum
edited 2009-04-15