Former Thai PM jumps bail

Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is on the run from the law. So, too, is his wife, Pojaman. They have fled to London rather than face a corruption trial in this country's Supreme Court. And in an attempt to portray himself and his wife as victims, Thaksin issued a statement from the British capital on Aug. 11, saying they had sought exile because their political enemies were interfering with the justice system and were out "to finish myself and my family." "What has happened to me is like a poisoned fruit that came from a poisoned tree," the 59-year-old, who led the country from January 2001-September 2006, said in a hand-written statement faxed to local media organizations. "These individuals see me as a political enemy. They have no consideration to judicial system, truth and legal principle." "My family and I have been continuously treated unjustly" added the man who was a billionaire telecommunication tycoon before being elected to his first term as prime minister. "I ask that all my supporters remain with me a bit longer." The flight of the Shinawatras, the most powerful political family in the country, marks a dramatic about-turn to the promises they made to the public after returning home barely six months ago after spending 18 months in exile. Thaksin announced that he would fight the slew of corruption cases brought against him and his wife in the courts. All the corruption cases that the Shinawatras face were the result of investigations by a special commission appointed by a military junta that staged a coup in September 2006, driving the twice-elected Thaksin from power. These include an alleged corrupt land deal in Bangkok, for which Thaksin and Pojaman were to appear in the Supreme Court on Aug. 11. During his five years as Thailand's leader, Thaksin was not known for respecting the truth, justice and fairness that he now wants for himself and his family. He gained notoriety for applying pressure and intimidating his critics, ignoring the law and violating human rights. Among flagrant violations was a "war on drugs" that he launched to rid the country of its narcotics networks, where 2,500 people were killed in an orgy of death, many of them innocent civilians. The new realities the Shinawatras faced in Thai courts was brought home on July 31. That day, a criminal court convicted Pojaman, her adopted brother, Bhanapot Damapong, and her secretary, Kanchana Honghern, of tax fraud. Pojaman was sentenced to three years in jail. Since then, there was growing speculation that the Shinawatras would flee. The permission that the Supreme Court granted to the former premier and his wife to leave the country last week to visit Japan and then attend the Beijing Olympics added to that view. The Shinawatras' flight from justice was confirmed Sunday evening when they failed to board a Bangkok-bound plane from the Chinese capital. "Their escape will not stop the case from proceeding. The court will try them in absentia. That is what happens in corruption cases," says Somchai Homlaor, a human rights lawyer. "Thaksin has no reasonable grounds to say that the trial will not be fair. His wife's case proved it." It is also bound to create a diplomatic issue between Thailand and Britain, because there is an extradition agreement between the two countries that still remains in effect, Somchai explained in an interview. "It is now the duty of the public prosecutor to extradite Thaksin under that extradition treaty." But analysts doubt that Bangkok would pursue such a measure since the current coalition government, led by the People Power Party (PPP), is closely linked to Thaksin. He only returned to the country after the PPP and its junior partners triumphed at the December elections, ending 16 months of rule by a military-backed government. "Thaksin seems to have made the right decision for himself. It is better for him to live abroad with all his riches than live in a Thai prison," says Michael Nelson, a German academic specializing in Thai political culture. "It may not be easy for him to return to politics in the future because there may be more verdicts against him and there will be the arrest warrants." Cases of this nature are unprecedented in Thailand, Nelson told IPS. "It is so extraordinary because these are cases against such a high profile family. There has never been a case of this scale in the country." But what is not unprecedented is the measure the Shinawatras took to escape facing the law. There have been other political figures and notorious mafia bosses who have fled the country when courts have ruled against them. The most recent is Vatana Asavahame, a former deputy interior minister and a presently chief advisor to the Puea Pandin party, a member of the current coalition government. He failed to appear in court in July for a corruption case involving a multi-million dollar wastewater treatment plant. Vatana has fled to neighboring Cambodia and an arrest warrant has been issued for him. Earlier, Somchai Khunpluem, head of a notorious political clan in a province south-east of Bangkok, also fled to Cambodia after the Supreme Court found him guilty in a corrupt land deal in the tourist resort city of Pattaya. Such flights from justice are not going down well with Thais who comment on popular local political websites such as 'Pantip.com'. In one political chat-room, there was a mood of rage. "What's wrong with this country? The person who breaks the law could be free,'' wrote one contributor. "Vatana is now in Cambodia and can't be found. Thaksin and Pojaman went to China and now are in England. How could we let that happen?"