Ex-PM pleads with HM, teary over devoted red shirts

During a video link-up, watched by thousands in Sanam Luang yesterday, he said: "I, Thaksin Shinawatra, and my family will be loyal to the King and the monarchy forever."

More than 20,000 red shirts marched to the Grand Palace yesterday to submit the petition for clemency. Before the group started marching, they gathered in Sanam Luang to hear the song "Deeka Dub Thook Thang Paendin" (A Petition to End the Suffering of the Nation) blaring out of the speakers and listen to Thakin's address.

The former PM, who has been on the run for about a year now, spoke from an undisclosed location abroad, and said that he was turning to His Majesty as a last resort. "We need to rely on His Majesty to bring back justice and peace to Thailand," he said.

Wearing a red shirt, the colour favoured by his supporters, Thaksin said he hoped His Majesty would live a long, healthy life like Phra Anond, Buddha's close confidant who passed away at the age of 120, according to Buddhist belief.

"We are here to inform the father of every Thai that we want to see unity and harmony. We want to see the return of right, freedom and dignity to Thailand. We want happiness return to the country through reconciliation," Thaksin said.

He continued to be adamant that his conviction over the Ratchadaphisek land-purchase deal was "a joke".

"It's funny how the owners, the buyers and the sellers were all acquitted, while I was the only one convicted," he said.

Thaksin was sentenced last August to two years in jail after he was found guilty of abuse of power for allowing his wife to successfully bid on a plot of prime Bangkok property in a public auction in 2003.

After completing his message, the tycoon turned around to bow before the portraits of Their Majesties, before leading a rendition of "Sadudee Maha Raja" (Love Live the Great King) and chanting "Long Live the King" three times.

Once the petition was submitted, Thaksin returned on the link-up to announce that the event had brought tears to his eyes. He said his family was also touched by the fact that so many people loved him. Thaksin went on to thank the country's citizens for being merciful and for their moves to restore peace, unity and prosperity in the country. He said he had watched the petition being submitted on People's Channel.

According to Thaksin, during one of his "around the world" trips, his plane was flying close to Thailand and his pilot asked if it was wise to enter Thai airspace because it could lead to a lot of trouble if there was ever a need for an emergency landing. Thaksin said he told the pilot |to fly through Thai airspace regardless.

"During those 20 minutes I meditated. I prayed to all things holy and said that if I was really a bad person, I should not be allowed to return, but that if I was a truly honest person, then I should be able to come back," he said.

"If I am given a chance to return, the first thing I will do is pay obeisance to you all," he said, adding |that he will wait for a miracle and hoped that peace would bring him victory.

Natthawut Saikua, one of the organisers, then had the song "Chan Ja Klub Ma" (I Will Return) blaring from the speakers and asked Thaksin to sing along.

Thaksin then declared he had always believed that he will return one day. "Although I'm being harassed, I will be patient and wait to return," he said, before he singing the royal anthem and chanted "Chai Yo" three times.

The organisers then turned on the song about the petition to close the event, before the red shirts peacefully dispersed.