Four prominent politicians yesterday "testified" before a mock court at Thammsat University that caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was a "very serious" threat to Thai society and should be tried as a criminal and executed if found guilty.

Snoh Thienthong, Pramuan Rujanaseri, Sanan Kachornprasart and Chuwit Kamolvisit asserted that Thaksin had abused his position of power and was self-serving.

Snoh, the former Thai Rak Thai Party king-maker, warned that unless Thaksin resigned or was ousted by pro-democracy groups society would be further divided and there would be the kind of civil unrest previously seen in Vietnam and Cambodia.

If the April 2 snap election went ahead, Thais would be divided into two or three opposing camps, Snoh told the mock trial at the university's main auditorium, where 3,000 people had filled both galleries.

The veteran politician, who helped Thaksin secure the premiership five years ago, spoke before two senior judges, backed by the Law Society of Thailand, saying that Thaksin had cheated to gain [state] power and when in office had cheated even more.

Snoh said, however, that it was not only he who had supported Thaksin's rise to power, but "everyone who sits here and the 60 or so million who were responsible for midwifing Thaksin. You can't just blame me alone".

He added that many of Thaksin's crimes of corruption were premeditated and as a criminal he should be executed if found guilty. He alleged that there were unauthorised ballots used to cheat in previous elections and that Thaksin had used taxpayers' money for election campaigns.

Thais should support a good person to be the next premier, he said, insisting that it was wrong to perceive that Thaksin was irreplaceable.

Pramuan Rujanaseri, another former Thaksin supporter and Cabinet member, told the "court": "When I was a minister I was blind. Now I realise that I had supported an evil person to cheat the country."

Pramuan accused Thaksin of pushing through many unnecessarily large public works projects so he and his allies could siphon off money. He also alleged that the privatisation of state firms such as the Petroleum Authority of Thailand had denied the government billions of baht in income, which went to Thaksin and his cronies who held shares in the firms through nominees.

Mahachon Party head Sanan Kachornprasart said there was electoral cheating by those in power who had access to the printing of ballot papers and had ordered extra papers.

"Other parties only found out about this trickery after they lost the election," said Sanan, adding that high-ranking officials have been turned into "clerks" of the Thaksin political machinery.

"Thailand has become a police state with police everywhere [in powerful political positions]," said Sanan, who predicted that Thaksin's hold on power wouldn't last beyond the end of next month.

Chart Thai Party deputy leader Chuwit Kamolvisit said the country was trapped in a vicious cycle of money politics presided over by Thaksin. He attacked Thaksin for selling out the country to Singapore.

"This prime minister is not loyal to this nation. I suggest that in 10 to 20 days he get on an AirAsia plane and tell [the pilot] to fly direct to the British Virgin Islands," said Chuwit in reference to the airline now under Singaporean control and the tax haven island where Thaksin is alleged to have kept funds.

Chuwit also made fun of Thaksin's claim to "tell the truth" about everything at the March 3 rally where 200,000 people were bussed in to hear the premier. "What truth? The fact is, people throughout the country already knew the truth. And the truth is that he is unethical!"

Pravit Rojanaphruk

The Nation