Fugitive ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra appears to have rebuffed a bid to try to enhance national reconciliation by Deputy Prime Minister Sanan Kachornprasart.
“Thaksin is not OK with Sanan’s proposal. He said he would continue to fight,” a source close to Sanan revealed without elaboration.
Sanan met wit Thaksin in Norway during a working trip last week. He was tight-lipped after his return to Thailand yesterday, but said he would hold a press conference about his meeting with Thaksin today.
“If it [the talk with Thaksin] won’t help improve the political situation I won’t do it,” the deputy prime minister said.
Sanan, an adviser to the Chart Thai Pattana Party, has tried to be a middleman between political parties, plus the red shirts and yellow-shirt supporters in order to enhance national reconciliation.
He has met red-shirt leaders in prison, plus key leaders of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (yellow shirts), Sondhi Limthongkul and leaders of the New Politics Party, key figures in the opposition Pheu Thai Party, and leaders of small and medium sized parties �” all except the ruling Democrat Party.
Thaksin, meanwhile, sent a note via Twitter last night that the Thai media should ask Sanan directly about their meeting in Norway.
Somchai Wongsawat, Thaksin’s brother-in-law, vowed yesterday to bring Thaksin back to Thailand.
“I support the reconciliation plan but it’s not that easy because it involves many people. I don’t
expect 100 per cent success but we should try,” Somchai said.
He said the government should take a leading role in the plan, have an open mind, and not set too many prerequisites, otherwise the mission would fail.
“As far as I know, Thaksin has no conditions. He would never mind his difficulties as long as the people are happy,” he said.
