"Most protesters were not Thais but illegal migrant workers who got paid for the publicity stunt staged by Thaksin's supporters," he said.

Ekkayuth did not explain the financial source for the last week's demonstration.

He said most Thai students and expats stayed away from the rally. He also criticised the government for failing to seize Thaksin's assets even though seven months had passed since the coup.

"The failure to seize his assets has allowed Thaksin to continuously mount counter attacks against the government by spreading his money around," he said.

He said he had informed junta member General Saprang Kalayanamitr, and Auditor General Khunying Jaruvan Maintaka, that he was willing to pay his own expenses in tracking down Thaksin's assets.

He called on the government to invoke tax and money laundering laws to impound the illgotten gains.

"Without the freeze on his wealth, Thaksin appears sympathetic in the eyes of foreigners as a former government leader dethroned by the coup," he said.

If Thaksin continues to receiving lenient treatment, authorities will have a more difficult time to prosecute him because his rising number of supporters will try to act as his shield, he said.

Before Ekkayuth made his remarks, two advocacy groups in the Northeast issued a joint statement on Sunday calling for the immediate dismissal of Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, who appears reluctant to punish Thaksin.

The two groups, the Isaan People's Network and the Korat People's Alliance, attacked Surayud for lack of achievements and for his unwillingness to root out Thaksin's graft violations.

The Nation