Thousands of protesters gathered in front of Thailand’s national police headquarters yesterday to demand action on long-pending legal cases against toppled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
The demonstrators, led by the People’s Alliance for Democracy, accused police of protecting Thaksin and his loyalists against prosecution by stalling their investigations.
Thaksin was toppled in a bloodless military coup in 2006 with the alliance and other groups accusing him of corruption and abuse of power.
PHOTO: AFP
The former leader returned from exile earlier this year, vowing to clear his name in court.
More than 3,000 protesters gathered in front of the police headquarters in downtown Bangkok, near three of the country’s most expensive shopping malls.
“I come to police headquarters to ask you why you have been sitting on the cases against Thaksin and his followers. These cases are moving nowhere,” Sondhi Limthongkul, a key alliance leader, shouted through a loudspeaker. “We are here to ask you to do your duty.”
Of 24 cases against Thaksin and members of his family, only seven have gone to court. The others are still lodged with the police or the attorney general’s office.
Thaksin and his wife Pojaman are to appear in court today to face charges related to the purchase of prime Bangkok real estate during his term.
The alliance and its followers have been on the streets of Bangkok since May 25, vowing not to stop their protests until the government of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej resigns. Samak is regarded by the alliance as a Thaksin puppet.
The demonstrations have been mostly staged around the seat of government in an area of the city dominated by ministries and offices of international organizations.
Yesterday, the protest moved to a downtown business and shopping district, where traffic was brought to a standstill.
The demonstration was noisy, but largely peaceful with protesters shouting, “Thaksin, go to jail” amid cheering crowds and onlooking shoppers.
Dozens of police and security guards stood outside the partially barricaded malls to prevent protesters from entering.
Following Thaksin’s fall from power, a now defunct investigating committee compiled 24 cases against him, his associates and family members ranging from tax evasion to conspiracy in the sale of a family business.
In today’s case, Thaksin and Pojaman have been charged with malfeasance and conflict of interest for the 2003 purchase of a plot of land in central Bangkok from a government agency.
An anti-corruption law bars prime ministers and their spouses from doing business with government agencies.
There is some dispute over whether the law applies in this case because the agency that sold the land was not technically under the authority of the prime minister.
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