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Published on April 29, 2008

The Nation

The Hi-Thaksin.net website has announced it will shut down early tomorrow to avoid causing trouble for former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The pro-Thaksin site's columnist Pradab said it would shut down in 48 hours after his latest article was published.

Pradab said in the article it was decided to pull the plug because there were attempts to frame the site by saying it was part of an alleged movement to insult the highest institution, "which is highly revered by all Thais".

"There were also attempts to link former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to the allegations, by saying he provided financial support and was behind the operation of this website, but it is not true," the article states.

"We had no political goal at all when we launched our website because we are ordinary people, not politicians. We opened this website only as a communication channel to inform the people, who love and have faith in Thaksin, of his latest movements. We also function as a centre to gather moral support for Thaksin during his exile.

"But we faced various allegations, that we have stirred up undercurrents, that we have tried to destabilise the military and we are a national treat. We were also accused of insulting and violating the Privy Council president.

"In the latest move, the Hi-Thaksin.net was accused of being a website with a political goal and being a political tool of Thaksin and the People Power Party, although we have never received any financial support from Thaksin and People Power."

Pradab said his group initially planned to wait until after charter amendments were completed before it ceased operations.

"But we have to change our mind and cease our operations because of the plea of the one we love," Pradab said in the article.

He said Thaksin did not make the plea by himself but the website team could sense that Thaksin was in trouble when he was linked to Hi-Thaksin.net by his opponents.

"For the sake of his peace of mind and his safety, we are ready to do this for him," Pradab said.

He said the site would shut down after one year and one month of operations.