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| Image: Thai Army Commander-in-Chief Prayuth Chan-ocha's twin daughters have become the target of kidnapping and death threats by the supporters of Thaksin Shinawatra. |
The Royal Thai Army on Sunday condemned an anti-coup activist and supporter of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra after he urged liked-minded people to hold the twin daughters of army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha hostage if the general stages a coup.The Bangkok Post would continue:
Mr Sudchai, a former leader of the red-shirt Saturday People Against the Coup group, urged supporters to catch the twins either alive or dead.
“Taking them alive as hostages will be very good. But catching them dead is also worth it. Prayuth will know the taste of losing loved ones.
Regime supporters have attempted to downplay the threat claiming it was merely the result of "frustration" over growing dissent against the regime. Others will undoubtedly claim it was an isolated incident and in no way represents the methods of the current regime. In that regard, they would be wrong. Assassinations have been the preferred method of Thaksin Shinawatra and his political machine in dealing with opponents both big and small:
Considering this disturbing history of assassinations both attempted and successful, of Thaksin Shinawatra's long list of enemies, threats made by him, his associated, or his supporters are not "isolated," but a continuation of wanton brutality indicative of dangerous and intolerable despotism.
With every move, the current regime both vindicates and justifies continued protests in the streets and in the wake of these most recent and abhorrent threats - threats which have so far gone uncondemned by the regime itself, Thais who have so far decided to remain silent, should consider if the nation's future can afford to continue tolerating Thaksin Shinawatra's political machine and the malicious, dangerous people it creates.
- Throughout Thaksin Shinawatra's administration he was notorious for intimidating the press, and crushing dissent. According to Amnesty International, 18 human rights defenders were either assassinated or disappeared during his first term in office. Among them was human rights activist and lawyer Somchai Neelapaijit. He was last seen in 2004 being arrested by police and never seen again.
- Also in 2004, Thaksin Shinawatra oversaw the killing of 85 protesters in a single day during his mishandled, heavy-handed policy in the country's troubled deep south. The atrocity is now referred to as the "Tak Bai incident."
Image: Anti-Thaksin activist, protest leader, and media mogul Sondhi Limthongkul's van after being shot at by over 100 rounds in a failed assassination attempt carried out in broad daylight in 2009. Sondhi is just one of many of Thaksin Shinawatra's enemies that have faced assassination.
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- In April of 2009 gunmen would fire over 100 rounds into the vehicle of anti-Thaksin activist, protest leader, and media mogul Sondhi Limthongkul in a broad daylight assassination attempt. He was injured but survived.
- On April 10, 2010, heavily armed professional militants deployed by Thaksin Shianwatra and his "red shirt" front targeted and assassinated Colonel Romklao Thuwatham who was at the time commanding crowd control operations near Bangkok's Democracy Monument.
- In August of 2013, businessman and outspoken Thaksin opponent Ekkayuth Anchanbutr was abducted and murdered.
With every move, the current regime both vindicates and justifies continued protests in the streets and in the wake of these most recent and abhorrent threats - threats which have so far gone uncondemned by the regime itself, Thais who have so far decided to remain silent, should consider if the nation's future can afford to continue tolerating Thaksin Shinawatra's political machine and the malicious, dangerous people it creates.
