Red-shirts back national reconciliation

BANGKOK, September 8 (TNA) - Thailand's pro-government red-shirt people have voiced their support for national reconciliation, saying that they will be also pushing for a royal pardon for convicted ex-Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Representing the red-shirt people, Veerakan Musikapong, a former leader of the red-clad National United Front of Democracy for Dictatorship (UDD), echoed the national reconciliation support when extending his best wishes to former Thai deputy prime minister Major General Sanan Kajornprasart, who is now chief advisor of the coalition Chartthaipattana, for the latter's 76th birthday on Wednesday.

Veerakan said that the red-shirts will continue seeking progress for his group's initiation, since 2009, to submit an amnesty petition for Thaksin to His Majesty King Bhimibol Adulyadej, insisting that the move is not aimed to trouble or pressure the government.

Veerakan acknowledged that the red-shirts' move to seek the royal pardon for Thaksin, which has been backed by some three million signatures of people, is considered rational, as Thaksin's ex-wife, Khunying Pojaman na Pombejra has returned a piece of land in Bangkok's Ratchadaphisek area she earlier purchased from the Financial Institutions Development Fund (FIDF) in an allegedly-underpriced deal to the government and has received the drawn-back fund.

The former UDD chair claimed that, as the land deal has been canceled, Thaksin should not be jailed. The exiled ex-Thai premier was sentenced to a two-year imprisonment in 2008 for abusing his political power by giving the green light for his then wife to purchase the underpriced land plot.

Veerakan stressed that the red-shirts will, however, heed His Majesty the King's decision on the issue. (TNA)