Thaksin Shinawatra's son, Panthongtae, said he has been informed of a plot to kill his father at a Myanmar pagoda at a gathering with Thai red shirts similar to this one that took place in Laos last April. PATTANAPONG HIRUNARD
By Terry Fredrickson
There are rumours that unnamed Thais are plotting to kill former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra during his visit to Myanmar at a gathering similar to this one that took place in Laos last April.
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Final evening update
Now it appears that Mr Thaksin will visit Myanmar to see President Thein Sein on Thursday, but he will not be going to Tachilek. This is likely to be confirmed officially tomorrow. According to Deputy PM Chalerm Yubamrung, a Myanmar man who was arrested on Sunday in Tak province by Thai authorities for transporting heavy firearms from the Thai border confessed that there was a plot to kill Thaksin during merit-making in Tachilek on Saturday. He has since changed his story and now denies involvement.
Evening update
Earlier today, former prime minsiter Thaksin Shinawatra's son, Panthongthae posted a second time on his Facebook page, this time to request that his father cancel his trip to Tachilek, the border town in Myanmar just opposite the Thai province of Chiang Rai.
He was clearly taking reports of a possible assassination plot against his father very seriously. Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung later confirmed the likely existence of such a plot.
There are unconfirmed reports this evening that Mr Thaksin has heeded his son's advice, cancelling not only the Tachilek trip, but his three-day trip to Myanmar which was to have begun on Thursday.
Rumours swirl of plot to kill Thaksin
Sukompol says ex-PM will be safe in Myanmar
POST REPORTERS
There are unconfirmed reports tonight that Mr Thaksin has heeded his son's Facebook appeals and has cancelled his Myanmar trip.
Defence Minister Sukumpol Suwanatat is confident the Myanmar government can protect deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra when he visits the country this week.
The minister was responding to rumours of an assassination plot against Thaksin ahead of the trip.
On Friday, Thaksin is expected to meet leading government MPs from Thailand as well as Thai and Myanmar businessmen in Tachilek – a border town opposite Chiang Rai's Mae Sai district.
Rumours have spread that there is a plot to assassinate Thaksin during his visit to Tachilek.
"I am confident Myanmar authorities will provide good protection," ACM Sukumpol said.
A border security source said it has not been confirmed if Thaksin will visit Tachilek, given recent unrest between Myanmar's ethnic minorities and local gang activity linked to the drug trade.
"Someone may plan to assassinate Thaksin and place the blame on those ethnic minorities and drug traders," the source said.
Last Friday, Myanmar authorities raided a house near Regina Hotel and Golf Club, where Thaksin will stay if his visit to Tachilek goes ahead.
Police confiscated three RPG grenades, gunpowder, and 10 M16 ammunition rounds from the house. A man in the house was detained for questioning. Myanmar police said there was no apparent connection between the arms cache and Thaksin's visit. A border security source said the seizure was a follow-up of a previous crackdown on cross-border arms smuggling.
However, Panthongtae Shinawatra, Thaksin's son, yesterday said in a message on his Facebook page that he had received information from Thai border authorities that the ammunition seized would have been used to attack a pagoda in Tachilek where his father and the red-shirt supporters will attend a merit-making event on Saturday.
Mr Panthongtae said he believed a group of Thais are behind the plot, which he called the fifth attempt on his father's life. He said this latest plot involves the same group of people.
He expects that his father will stay clear of the border, which means red shirts will have to travel deeper into Myanmar to meet him.
Pheu Thai MP for Chiang Rai Surasit Jiamwichak said yesterday he expected at least 10,000 residents and well-wishers will flock to meet Thaksin if he visits Tachilek.
Phetcharawat Wattanapongsirikul, leader of the Rak Chiang Mai 51 Group, estimated yesterday that about 5,000 red shirts from his organisation will travel across the border to Tachilek to meet Thaksin.
He said they would leave on Friday night on about 100 buses from Mae Sai to see Thaksin at a hotel in Tachilek on Saturday.
Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday urged the government and the police to arrest Thaksin and bring him to face justice.
He said if the prime minister and her deputy Chalerm Yubamrung, who oversees the police force, fail to arrest Thaksin, they could be prosecuted for dereliction of duty.
Thaksin fled the country before the Supreme Court convicted him and sentenced him to two years in jail in the Ratchadaphisek land case.
You can read previous article at http://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/books/313641/introducing-thailand-submerged.
Vocabulary
plot – a secret plan to do something bad แผนการลับ
pagoda – a temple in S or E Asia in the form of a tall tower with several levels เจดีย์
gathering – a party or a meeting when many people come together as a group การรวมตัว, การประชุม
similar – like somebody/something but not exactly the same คล้ายกัน
rumour – a piece of information, or a story, that people talk about, but that may not be true ข่าวลือ
swirl – to move quickly in circles หมุนวนอย่างเร็ว
confident – being certain of your abilities or of having trust in people, plans, or the future มั่นใจ
protect – to make sure that somebody/something is not harmed, injured, damaged, etc ป้องกัน,อารักขา,คุ้มกัน
deposed – forced from a position of power ที่ถูกปลด ไล่ออกจากตำแหน่ง
respond – to say or do something as a reaction to something that has been said or done ตอบสนอง, ตอบรับ
assassination – the murder of a famous or important person, especially for political reasons การลอบสังหาร
border – the official line separating two areas, regions or countries เขตแดน อาณาเขต
opposite – across from or facing someone or something ที่อยู่ตรงกันข้าม
spread – to (cause to) cover, reach or have an effect on a wider or increasing area or number of people แพร่กระจาย, แพร่กระจายไปทั่ว
authorities – the police or people in official organisations who have the legal power to make people obey laws or rules เจ้าหน้าที่ (ตำรวจ หรือผู้มีอำนาจ)
security – protection; systems providing for safety from attack, harm, or damage ระบบรักษาความปลอดภัย
source – someone who gives information แหล่งข่าว
unrest – angry or violent behaviour by people who are protesting or fighting against something สถานการณ์ที่ไม่สงบ
ethnic minority – a group of people with the same culture or traditions who are living a a place where most people have a different culture and different traditions ชนกลุ่มน้อยที่มีเชื้อชาติหรือประเพณีและวัฒนธรรมที่ต่างไปจากคนกลุ่มใหญ่ของประเทศ
link – a connection ความเชื่อมโยงกัน
trade – a type of business การค้าขาย
raid – using force to enter a place suddenly in order to arrest people or search for something such as illegal weapons or drugs การเข้าตรวจค้น
confiscate – to officially remove someone’s possessions for legal reasons or as a punishment ยึดทรัพย์
grenade – a small bomb that someone throws or fires from a gun ลูกระเบิดเล็ก
round – a bullet or a shot that is fired from a weapon นัด(กระสุน) ชุดยิง
detained – kept in a place and not allowed to leave กักตัว ควบคุมตัวหรือฝากขัง
apparent – clear; able to be seen or understood ซึ่งเห็นได้ชัดว่า
connection – something that connects two facts, ideas, etc. การเชื่อมต่อ การเชื่อมโยง
cache – a quantity of things that have been hidden or stored, especially weapons สิ่งที่ซ่อนไว้
seizure – the act of taking control of something, especially by using power or force การบุกเข้ายึด
crackdown – strong action that someone in authority takes to stop a particular activity การใช้กำลังเข้าปราบปรามของเจ้าหน้าที่
smuggling – secretly and illegally taking goods or people into or out of a country or place การลักลอบ
ammunition – bullets, bombs, etc that can be fired from a weapon อาวุธยุทธภัณฑ์, ลูกกระสุน
merit-making – doing good things according to religious beliefs การทำบุญ
stay clear off – to stay away from อยู่ห่างจาก
flock – to go somewhere in large numbers; to gather together in large numbers แห่กันไป
estimate – to say what you think an amount or value is or will be, either by using available information or by guessing คาดคะเน
urge – to advise someone very strongly about what action or attitude they should take ผลักดัน, กระตุ้น
arrest – (of the police) to take someone to a police station because they are believed to have committed a crime จับกุม
face justice – to put someone on trial in a court of law นำตัวมาดำเนินคดีตามกฎหมาย
oversee – to watch or organise a job or an activity to make certain that it is being done correctly คุมงาน,ควบคุม
prosecute – to officially accuse someone of a crime and to try to prove them guilty in a court of law ดำเนินคดี ฟ้องร้อง ซักฟอก
dereliction of duty – the fact of deliberately not doing what you ought to do, especially when it is part of your job ล้มเหลวในการทำหน้าที่ของคุณ
flee (past form: fled) – to leave a place or person quickly because you are afraid of possible danger หนี อพยพ
convict – to prove in a court of law that someone is guilty of a crime พิสูจน์ว่าผิดกฎหมาย
sentence – (of a court of law) to give a punishment ลงโทษ
request – to ask for something in a formal or polite way ขอร้อง
border – the official line separating two areas, regions or countries เขตแดน อาณาเขต
opposite – across from or facing someone or something ที่อยู่ตรงกันข้าม
assassination – the murder of a famous or important person, especially for political reasons การลอบสังหาร
plot – a secret plan to do something bad แผนการลับ
existence – the state of being of being present in a particular place, time, or situation การมีอยู่, ความเป็นอยู่
heed – to consider someone’s advice or warning and do what they suggest ปฏิบัติตามคำแนะนำ
advice – an opinion or a suggestion about what somebody should do in a particular situation คำแนะนำ
appeal – an urgent request for someone to do something or behave in a particular way การร้องขอ
confess – to admit that you have committed a crime สารภาพผิด
