"There will likely be no election on April 2 and what we're witnessing is more acting [by Thaksin]," said Suthin, who added the prime minister is still around because some people are propping him up.

The journalist was recently removed from a meeting by three of Thaksin's men after he asked the premier whether parliament had turned into a joke.

Suthin, who was speaking at Chulalongkorn University's faculty of communications and arts at a symposium on the media's role in covering the current political crisis, warned that a violent clash between pro and anti-Thaksin forces was high.

"Let no one warn [Thaksin]. Let him drive all the way down the cliff!" said Suthin, who has been a reporter for many foreign news agencies for almost three decades.

He predicted foreign news agencies would play a more crucial role in informing Thais about the current political crisis, because the local media faces a government crackdown. "We don't belong [to the government] nor do we depend on [business] sponsors," he said, adding that it's the media's role to put an end to Thaksin's "arrogance". He described him as being guilty of "plundering" the country and abusing democratic principles.

Chorm Petchpradab, deputy managing editor of the much-criticised iTV television channel, which was formerly owned by the premier's family, admitted some people within iTV may self-censor themselves, but not all are like that and iTV will try to remain neutral despite allegations otherwise. "If we fight for what is right and just, we will see that right and just does not protect us. Our faith in this society is decreasing every day."

He said iTV can't decide if the premier is right or wrong and insisted the channel's journalists will take a stance when social destruction is evident.

Sophon Ongkara, a senior columnist at The Nation, said the media has a responsibility to report the truth and take a stance on whether they think Thaksin is right or wrong. "I don't want to call for the media to be courageous, but if you don't fight then why don't you change your beat and present entertainment news or news that has no effect on the security of the people in this government," he said.

His view of Thaksin is that he is shameless, having refused to resign even after the corruption allegations. "In my life I have never seen anyone with such a thick skin. Since I was born I have never seen the dividing line between good and evil so blurred as it is now," said Sophon, who revealed that there had been an attempt to have him kicked off The Nation, but through the intervention of its top people, the effort failed. 

Pravit Rojanaphruk

The Nation