Chuwit declares only he and Jatuporn know about Thaksin’s moves
Political whistleblower Chuwit Kamolvisit took another swipe at fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra after he once again postponed his return to Thailand.
Chuwit, who had earlier claimed that Thaksin would not return on August 10 as originally claimed, disputed the ex-PM’s excuse that he was postponing his return because he wants a medical check-up first.
“Another postponement,” Chuwit said in a Facebook post on Saturday. “Do you need to delay your return simply because you will do a medical check-up? Couldn’t you find another excuse that is more convincing?”
Chuwit, a massage-parlour boss who became a politician and is now a whistleblower, linked the postponement to delays in the formation of a new coalition government.
Pheu Thai Party, which is seen as Thaksin’s proxy, has been trying to form a new coalition government after dropping the election winner Move Forward Party from its alliance.
Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat had earlier failed to secure sufficient support in Parliament to become Thailand’s next PM.
Meanwhile, Thaksin posted on his social media account on Saturday that he would delay his return by “a couple of weeks” because he needs a medical check-up.
His youngest daughter Paetongtarn, who is one of Pheu Thai Party’s three prime ministerial candidates, had announced on Facebook that her father was landing at Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport on August 10. She made this announcement on July 26, Thaksin’s birthday.
In response to Chuwit’s claim later that Thaksin will once again delay his return, Paetongtarn simply said: “Nonsense”.
On Saturday, Chuwit appeared to celebrate his prediction, saying on Facebook: “Maybe only Jatuporn and Chuwit know that [Thaksin] will not return [as planned].”
He was referring to former red-shirt leader Jatuporn Prompan, Thaksin’s loyal lieutenant who has turned his staunch critic.
Chuwit said that a former inmate like Jatuporn knows that “you need a strong heart” to step into prison.
Over the past several years, Thaksin has been sentenced in absentia to a total of 10 years behind bars for three corruption cases stemming from his tenure.
Thaksin served as Thailand’s prime minister from February 2001 to September 2006, when his government was overthrown in a military coup. He has been in self-exile overseas since August 2008 after leaving the country shortly before the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders sentenced him to two years in jail for abuse of power.
Over the past 15 years of his self-exile overseas, Thaksin announced at least 19 times that he would return to Thailand, media records show.
Chuwit, meanwhile, has reportedly confirmed that he has stage three cancer and has promised to devote the rest of his life to educating people about issues others are too afraid to touch.
