Fugitive former prime minister Thaksin
Shinawatra yesterday reiterated his wish to end his life in exile and make a
longed-for comeback to Thailand this year, which he said was marked by
auspicious occasions for the Royal Family.
After
leading red-shirt well-wishers in merit-making at Angkor Wat in Cambodia's Siem
Reap, he told reporters his desire to return to his homeland was rekindled when
thousands of red-shirt followers came to greet him over Songkran.
"I'm
very happy to see that the people support me and are calling on me to return
home," he said.
"I
was moved to see men crying and telling me to go back home…the people love and
have mercy for me a lot."
Even
though he had been missing his country very much since Saturday when he met a
lot of red-shirt devotees, the time was not yet ripe for a homecoming.
"I
would like to wait until the situation has improved to the point that I can
have noodles at a roadside shop," he said.
2012
was an auspicious year for the monarchy and Thais should stop quarrelling and
the rifts should be patched, he said.
His
Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn would turn 60 and Her Majesty
the Queen would turn 80 this year -- so it was a great year for Thais, he said.
There
would be no new coup, as the military had learnt it would be useless for the
armed forces to seize power.
The
people and all sides, except the opposition Democrat Party, would like to see
reconciliation realised.
His
return would not put pressure on the government of his sister Yingluck to try
to bring about reconciliation, as that was a matter for Parliament.
The
Democrats would eventually find themselves isolated if they did not heed the
people's wish for the nation to see unity and harmony restored.
Legal
cases had been initiated against him and processed through an "unfair
system" so he would not return to the country to serve a jail sentence.
But he would not mind facing new investigations and trials if the cases were
restarted under a fair judicial system.
If he
returned to Thailand, it would not be to politics because his sister had been
performing well as prime minister and she would be capably assisted by former
Thai Rak Thai Party executives when they emerge from their five-year political
ban next month, he said.
News
Desk
The
Nation
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