Thai Pakdee Party dismisses royal pardon, insists Thaksin be punished over lese majeste
The ultra-royalist Thai Pakdee Party is pushing the Royal Thai Army and the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) to revive the lese majeste charges against former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.
Party leader Issaraporn Narin said the Army had filed a lawsuit against Thaksin for allegedly defaming the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) in an interview with South Korean media in 2015.
In the interview, Thaksin had allegedly said that the Privy Council was behind the 2014 coup and the setting up of the junta or NCPO. The military-led coup had ousted the elected government of Thaksin’s younger sister, Yingluck Shinawatra.
Issaraporn said the OAG slapped Thaksin with a lese majeste charge and violation of the Computer Crimes Act in relation to the interview.
She said the party objects to the royal pardon granted to Thaksin because he already faces sentences for so many cases related to corruption and illegal actions while he was premier.
Thaksin’s royal pardon would also cause social inequality, she said, adding that the phrase “jail is only for the poor” would become a reality.
Party chairman Warong Dechgitvigrom, meanwhile, said the party will submit a letter expressing its objections to the Corrections Department and the Technology Crime Suppression Division on Monday.
As for Thaksin falling gravely ill immediately after returning to Thailand, he said the Police General Hospital’s medical team should issue a statement explaining the illness.
In relation to the Pheu Thai-led coalition, he said it should adhere to the rule of law and righteousness, otherwise, people may lose confidence in the new government.
He said the party wants Thaksin to undergo legal prosecution in the country, provided all legal action against him is transparent.
