Protect Thaksin's dignity, Yaowapha pleads

Yaowapa

Yaowapha, who holds no official executive post in the ruling People Power Party, still has good connections with many of its MPs, who come from the dis¬banded Thai Rak Thai Party, in which Yaowapha served as an executive.

Before a meeting of the ruling party, Yaowapha met with many People Power MPs who are still loyal to former TRT leader Thaksin, PPP executive Suthin Klangsang said.

Some 200 party MPs and election candidates sent a letter asking Samak to explain the police move in putting Thaksin on the wanted list.

Yaowapha said the politicians were not pressuring the PM but simply acted on concerns by people in their elec¬torates.

"People were really upset when an arrest warrant was issued for Thaksin. They asked the MPs, who simply relayed this concern to the party leader," Suthin quoted Yaowapha as saying.

"The MPs just want to ask the party leader to protect Thaksin's human dignity and his status as a former prime minister - it is not for Thaksin himself," she was quoted saying.

Thaksin's sister said he did not deserve such "humiliating" treatment from the police, as there had been no court ruling condemning him.

Samak, who is also People Power leader, declined to comment on the matter on Tuesday.