2006年VOA标准英语-Thai Coup Leader Says Little Evidence of Corrup

By Roger Wilkison
Bangkok
26 October 2006

The general who ousted 1 Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in a coup 2 last month says an investigation 3 into corruption 4 allegations against the former leader has failed to yield solid evidence.  General Sondhi Boonyaratglin's admission could undermine one of the main reasons he gave for carrying out the coup.

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Thailand's Army Commander-in-Chief Gen. Sondhi Boonyaratkalin speaks during a press conference in Bangkok, September 20, 2006
  
In an interview with The Nation newspaper, General Sondhi said he wishes he had more time to search for evidence of graft 5 by the former prime minister.

Sondhi said he worries the military could lose public support if investigators 6 do not find evidence of corruption against Mr. Thaksin.

The ruling junta 7 set up several bodies to investigate alleged 8 wrongdoing by Mr. Thaksin and his associates, including corruption and abuse of power, which the generals used as a rationale for deposing 9 the twice-elected prime minister.

A leading Thai political scientist, Thitinan Pongsudirak of Chulalongkorn University, says if the generals take much longer to investigate corruption charges against Mr. Thaksin, they risk weakening one of the main justifications 10 for their coup.

"The judicial 11 process is slow, and it takes time. So, in a sense, General Sondhi is trying to say the various investigation committees need more time," he said.  "But, at the same time, if they do not move more quickly, they will undermine their own rationale - one of the main rationales - for the coup."
 

Thaksin Shinawatra  
  
But the general said the probe into Mr. Thaksin's assets has to proceed in line with the law. He said he is aware the military-appointed government is being closely scrutinized 12 by the international community.

Thitinan says the military should also step up its probe into charges that Mr. Thaksin abused power during his rule, by interfering 13 with government institutions and condoning 14 extra-judicial killings 15 of suspected drug dealers 16 and Muslim separatists.

Otherwise, he says, the generals will have no legitimate 17 reason to prevent Mr. Thaksin, who is now in London, from returning to Thailand.

General Sondhi implied in the interview that Mr. Thaksin, who is a billionaire, could try to use his fortune to stage a comeback. He told The Nation Mr. Thaksin would not be allowed to return until martial 18 law is lifted, and he did not say when that would happen.

Professor Thitinan says martial law is a double-edged sword for the military.

"They cannot lift martial law too quickly, because that would open up a space for the pro-Thaksin elements, and there are many of them still, to come out into the open to challenge the coup," he added.  "At the same time, the longer they impose martial law, the more frustrated 19, the anti-Thaksin coalition 20, will become. So this is a dilemma 21 for the coup-makers. They have to do away with martial law, but not too soon."

Thitinan says Mr. Thaksin, who won his two elections by large majorities, is looking for a way to return. He still has support in the countryside, Thitinan says, and if the generals cannot justify 22 their actions against him, the country could be in store for more turmoil 23.