Thida Thavornseth, a former leader of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), or red-shirt movement, suggested today that former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra should accept the prison sentence imposed on him by the court and serve his time in prison, as many other red-shirt followers have done.
By accepting the court’s sentence, like other convicts, she said that all the controversies surrounding Thaksin would be alleviated, which will be beneficial to him, his daughter Prime Minister Paetongtarn, the Pheu Thai party and the country as a whole.
If he continues to resist the court’s sentence and tries to negotiate for his freedom, however, she warned that the controversies will persist and may intensify.
Thida explained that, if Thaksin agrees to serve his time in prison, he could rest assured that he would be taken care of, like some of his former ministers who were sentenced. If he falls sick, he would be treated in the Corrections Department’s hospital, where the doctors are qualified to look after him.
The former red-shirt movement leader said she disagrees with the suggestion, by some of Thaksin’s supporters, that he should not attend the hearing on June 13th at the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders, because he might be arrested and sent back to jail.
She appealed to the former prime minister to change his mind and to accept the court’s verdict, noting that the court hearing may not go well for Thaksin.
The hearing is intended to discover whether the court’s prison sentence, imposed on Thaksin on three corruption convictions and which was commuted from eight to one year, had actually been carried out by the Corrections Department.
