Former British ambassador defends coup
Former British Ambassador to Thailand , Derek Tonkin, has expressed his support for the coup, suggesting the ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is to blame for fostering conditions that led to his ouster.
In a letter to London-based The Times newspaper, published on September 25, Tonkin said Thaksin's "wealth has become so immense and has been used so shamelessly to undermine political opponents and critics that his position has become virtually unassailable through the ballot box."His letter, published on September 25, was in response to The Times' leading article on September 20 in which it stated Thaksin's record "does not justify an illegal attempt to force him from power". "The problem for 30 per cent of urban dwellers in Thailand who are mostly opposed to Mr. Thaksin is that his political party, through what would appear to be traditional but illegal vote-buying practices, has cornered 70 per cent of the rural vote," Tonkin said. The former ambassador, who was posted to Thailand from 1986-89, went on to ask; "As the declared purpose of the coup is to restore democratic rights and bring an end to corrupt domination of the rural vote, is action against tyranny and for democracy not fully justified?" The Nation
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