Thai coup leaders prepare assault on corruption

[Knurled99]

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-09-22T045001Z_01_SP273647_RTRUKOC_0_US-THAILAND.xml&WTmodLoc=Home-C5-worldNews-2">Thai coup leaders prepare assault on corruption- Reuters.com

By Nopporn Wong-Anan

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's new military rulers were preparing on Friday to launch an assault on alleged corruption under ousted billionaire leader Thaksin Shinawatra after a coup they say was needed to end political strife.

They were working on forming a nine-person panel to probe Thaksin, his relatives and political colleagues, judges invited onto the panel said.

*SNIP*

The auditor-general has already speeded up existing probes, including an investigation into whether Thaksin's family legitimately avoided paying tax on its $1.9 billion sale of the firm he founded.
Thaksin, a former police colonel whose Shin Corp. grew into Thailand's biggest telecommunications group, has denied charges of corruption since street campaigners began throwing them at him late last year.

However, his family's tax-free sale of its controlling stake in the company to Singapore state investment firm Temasek Holdings in January infuriated Bangkok's middle classes and breathed life into the anti-Thaksin movement.

The military said it had been forced into Tuesday's coup because there was no other way out of a political crisis that pitted Thaksin, the winner of two landslide elections, against the old guard and street campaigners who said he had undermined democratic institutions and become a dictator.

[fooj]

1. Didn't Wolfowitz just say that World Bank was "fighting corruption"?

Just askin'...

[Knurled99]

2. continued....

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-09-22T045001Z_01_SP273647_RTRUKOC_0_US-THAILAND.xml&pageNumber=1&imageid=&cap=&sz=13&WTModLoc=NewsArt-C1-ArticlePage3">From page 2 of the article:

The coup leaders say the army has no interest in staying in power and will select a prime minister within two weeks to set up a government and start drawing up a new constitution to allow elections in a year.

Among the apparent favourites are Supachai Panitchpakdi, a former World Trade Organization chief who would be a welcome face to the international community, and Pridiyathorn Devakula, the central bank chief favoured by the financial industry.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

3. Oh if only.....

[Robbien]

4. I am really hoping this is a good coup.

It looks like one; it quacks like one; and it walks like one.

Oh lordy please let it be a duck.

[paulk]

5. me, too

Since Thailand accounts for at least half the inventory in my store...

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I don't trust the Thai military - they are very right wing. They are suppressing press coverage in Thailand. I know that this coup isn't as popular as it's being potrayed in the Thai press or the western press. This has the potential to go either way...

[nguoihue]

7. You're wrong about the press coverage

The coup here in Thailand is very popular. Most people are relieved that the arrogant Thaksin is gone. Hopefully the military leaders will be able to purge the government of his cronies.

[paulk]

8. the Thai coup leaders are censoring foreign news

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theeditors/2006/09/thai_censorship.html

I'm sure the coup is popular in Bangkok - I doubt very much it's as popular up in Lanna and east of there.

[daleo]

6. There is no such thing as a good coup

They are anti-democratic by nature. It's like a good robbery.