Human Rights Watch questions former Thai PM's takeover of Man City

Thaksin last month made a successful 81.6 million pounds (165.16 million dollars) bid to take over the club. He has since managed to take his shareholding to over 75 per cent.

In a letter to the Premier League the Asia Director of HRW Brad Adams questions how Thaksin could have passed as a "fit and proper person" to purchase the club.

"We believe that an assessment of any prospective team owner should at least include an assessment of the individual's human rights record, his or her record on corporate responsibility, and whether there are credible allegations of corruption or other issues that might call into question whether the person is truly 'fit and proper' for ownership.

"Such criteria should examine the individual's record globally and not just in relation to UK laws."

Adams said that Thaksin's period of office from 2001 - 2006 (when he was ousted in a military coup) was marked by gross human rights violations.

"The most disturbing period of Mr. Thaksin's rule was his 'war on drugs,' in which Thai security forces routinely committed serious violations of human rights. By his government's own count, more than 2,275 people were killed in the three months after the campaign was launched on 1 February, 2003.

"There is little doubt that ... Mr. Thaksin unleashed his security forces in a violent campaign against alleged drug traffickers and sellers."

Adams said that the former PM was equally brutal in addressing the insurgency in Thailand's predominantly ethnic Malay Muslim southern border provinces.

"His heavy-handed counterinsurgency policy, which emphasized the unnecessary or excessive use of force and encouraged grave human rights violations, led to the deaths of hundreds of ethnic Malay Muslims and injuries to many more.

"Based on his record, Mr. Thaksin does not appear to us to be 'fit and proper' under any reasonable definition of that term. His past actions should lead to him being subjected to investigations by impartial police and prosecutors, not welcomed into the club of owners of the most popular football league in the world." dpa