• 
• 

Published on August 19, 2007

Thailand has suggested updating its extradition agreement with the United Kingdom in light of preparations to bring former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra back from London.

"I told outgoing UK Ambassador David William Fall that the agreement should be amended," Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said yesterday.

Surayud said his government would not intervene in the extradition, which is under the jurisdiction of the judiciary, although it was ready to facilitate the proceedings.

"The litigation [against Thaksin] is under judicial review and the government has no role in it, as justice should be allowed to run its course," he said.

He said he wanted to end the bad precedent set by the ousted government of interfering with the judiciary.

Meanwhile, a top law enforcement official shrugged off the threat of a libel lawsuit by Thaksin's legal adviser, Noppadon Pattama.

Noppadon said his client was considering whether to sue Sunai Manomai-udom, director-general of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), for smearing his name in connection with its investigation into the SC Asset Corp case.

Sunai said he doubted whether Thaksin could charge him for defamation.

"I have never said Thaksin is guilty of any crime; all I am saying is that the DSI suspects him of guilt," he said, referring to Thaksin's alleged cover-up of equity holding in the listed property developer.

Sunai said he was duty-bound to inform the public on the progress of the investigation, but had not publicly discussed the evidence in the case.

Meanwhile, Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai Party supporters held a brief ceremony to remove the party's nameplate from its headquarters on New Phetburi Road in compliance with the May 30 court ruling to disband the party.

"Our political ideology will live on even though the name Thai Rak Thai no longer exists," group leader Chaturon Chaisang said.

Chaturon called for voters to reject the charter in today's referendum, saying authorities had employed underhand tactics to ensure victory.

He said he was confident that the junta would have no choice but to revive the suspended 1997 Constitution to bring about the general election.

"The elections will still take place in December or January in the event of a referendum defeat," he said.

Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva urged voters to cast ballots in order to end political animosity and take the country forward.

"Whatever the referendum outcome, rival sides should stop bickering and move on," he said.

He called on the Election Commission to ensure fair tallying of the referendum votes.