First crack of Asean's structural inconsistencies for democracy and economic integration

Thais protest over Thaksin-Jayakumar meeting
The Cambodia News.Net
Monday 29th January, 2007 (IANS)

Hundreds of Thai protesters burned an effigy of Singapore's deputy
prime minister outside the Singapore embassy after failing to receive
an apology from the city-state over a recent diplomatic tiff.

Thais are upset about Singapore's deputy premier S Jayakumar's
'private meeting' with Thailand's ousted prime minister Thaksin
Shinawatra earlier this month.

'We are here to announce how stupid the Singapore government was to
meet with Thaksin,' said Sathorn Sinpru, deputy leader of the Alliance
of Northeastern People, believed to be an offshoot of the People's
Alliance for Democracy that led the anti-Thaksin protests last year.

The protesters last week had demanded an apology from the Singapore
embassy for the Jayakumar meeting but none was forthcoming.

'If Singapore continues to deny us an apology we will take our protest
to Udon Thani Airbase in North-east Thailand and chase their air force
off the base,' said Sathorn.

Thailand and Singapore have enjoyed close diplomatic and military ties
for decades, and bilateral relationship became even closer under
former premier Thaksin, a billionaire telecommunications tycoon who
was prime minister between 2001 and 2006.

But things have changed since Thaksin was ousted by a military coup
Sept 19.

His high-profile activities in exile, including his meeting with
Jayakumar and his use of Singapore to conduct interviews with CNN and
the Wall Street Journal, drew protests from the Thai government.

The Thai foreign ministry has argued that Singapore's stance towards
Thaksin was inappropriate given the city-state's close business
relations with his family.

A year ago Temasek Holdings, the Singapore government's investment
arm, bought his family's 49-per-cent stake in Shin Corp, Thaksin's
business empire, for $1.9 billion in a tax-free deal.

Many Thais regarded the purchase as selling off sensitive national
assets to a foreign company.

Shin Corp's holdings include Advanced Info Service, Thailand's largest
mobile phone service, Shin-Sat, the national satellite network and ITV
television.

The sale sparked both anti-Thaksin and anti-Singapore protests in
Bangkok last March and April.

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