Thakshin to be pardoned on the Thai King's 84th birthday

The ruling Pheu Thai-led government is preparing to seek a large-scale pardon for prisoners on the Thai King's 84th birthday on Dec 5, a move seen as an alternative to the red shirts' campaign for clemency for ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

Pheu Thai list-MP Korkaew Pikulthong said this year's proposed prisoner amnesty will extend to more groups in honor of the King who celebrates his 7th-cycle birthday.

The cabinet was planning to propose an extended pardon for more groups of inmates as the country's prisons were overcrowded; Member of Parliament Korkaew Pikulthong was quoted as saying.

Mr Korkaew said Justice Minister Pracha Promnok has indicated that the country's prisons are bursting with inmates. There are more than 230,000 people in jail when the facilities can hold only 140,000.

The move drew attacks from anti-Thaksin critics. Lawyer Suwat Apaipak said the government's plan to seek amnesty for inmates would extend to Thaksin. He said the draft amnesty is likely to be drawn up to include those sentenced to jail terms not exceeding three years and/or those people above the age of 60.

Thaksin, 62, was convicted in absentia to two years' imprisonment in 2008 over the 2003 land purchase by his then wife, Khunying Potjaman na Pombejra. He has been in self-imposed exile since the conviction.

Kaewsun Atibhodhi, a critic of Thaksin and former senator, wrote in an article on the website prasong.com that the Pheu Thai- led government planned to have Thaksin return in November so he would serve time in jail shortly before the amnesty took effect.

But Deputy Prime Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit denied the government was seeking the pardon to keep Thaksin from prison. The Yingluck administration would not resort to legal changes or take any action that could be perceived as serving just one man, he said.

Meanwhile, a committee appointed by the Justice Ministry is reviewing a petition, signed by more than 3 million people, seeking royal pardon for Thaksin.

Thaksin's supporters petitioned for the royal pardon in August 2009. But it was delayed by a process of signature verification until Thaksin's sister Yingluck was elected Prime Minister. About 2 million names have been verified.

Tongthong Chandrangsu, a member of the committee reviewing Thaksin's royal pardon said last Thursday that it could take a long time to examine the petition as the committee needed more information "considering the fact that the matter is in the interests of the public."

"The committee needed extra time to finish the assignment and could not give a definite timeframe for when the job would be completed," he said.

In addition, Thailand's Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said his ministry was considering giving Thaksin back his passport last Thursday. His remarks were deemed by yellow- shirt activists as a move to pave way for Thaksin's return.

Thaksin's passport was revoked on April 12, 2009 after the government blamed him for inciting red shirt protests that led to the cancellation of a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Pattaya.

But Surapong said Thaksin deserves a Thai passport as an ex- Prime Minister. "A passport is like an identity card. Even prisoners in Thailand still hold their ID cards. I would like the Thai society to think about this basis," he said.

Thaksin usually travels on a passport issued by Montenegro. He also carries passports from other countries including Nicaragua and Uganda.

Thaksin told reporters in Tokyo in August that he had no plans to return to Thailand soon and would not do so until political reconciliation was achieved in the country.

- Asian Tribune -