Former FM criticises Thaksin's letter to Bush
Former Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan caretaker criticized Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Monday for writing a secret letter to US President George W Bush, saying Thaksin's action was simply to protect his own interests, and that in doing so he damaged the country's image.
Surin questioned Thaksin's motives for writing the letter to Bush, branding him a hypocrite pretending to be a democratic leader. ''In the past five years in office, Thaksin has acted contrary to democratic norms. This is called hypocrisy and it is damaging to Thailand's image.'' ''I believe the Thai people are entitled to know what their country's leader has done. If the prime minister insists his letter did not damage the country's interest and sovereignty, he ought to make it public,'' he said. The former foreign minister said Thaksin wanted to explain himself to the US leader for his own gain. ''It was a one-sided explanation which was meant for his own political gain since his government was faced with wide opposition in society," he said. The Nation
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