Fugitive Thaksin : Protesters seizing airports must respect law

He warned that if they did not respect the law, "law enforcement must be done."

Thaksin has been on the run after being sentenced in absentia to two years in jail on corruption charges in Thailand.

He was referring to seizing of the airports by protesters led by People's Alliance for Democracy, which reached the fifth day on Saturday.

Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, who is Thaksin's brother in law, has issued state of emergency both airports. The move was seen as a tool to allow police to disperse them.

"The airports must be reopened and the protesters must respect not only the law, but the citizens of Thailand," Thaksin said. "If no one respects the law, then law enforcement must be done."

He also warned that should the military launch a coup, it would be much more bloody than the previously occasions. He also warned the army to stay out of politics, predicting bloodshed if they stage a coup.

"If the coup were to happen, there's going to be bloodshed. It's not going to be an easy coup like in the past because the people are in hardship since dictatorship came to Thailand," Thaksin said.

Thaksin urged his supporters to "protect democracy": "If you protect Democracy you may be painful for a while, but if you allow dictatorship to take over Thailand you are going to have a nightmare for your whole life."

Thaksin said without elaboration, "so-called independent agencies or courts

had been mobilised to bias against the government. That's very bad.

Thaksin's message to the military: "They are officials whose salary is paid by taxpayer money, so they have to do what is wanted by the whole of the Thai people, not just for minority groups. They must respect Democracy. They must play by the rules. Being neutral means you have to observe the law."

Thaksin was speaking to Thomas Crampton, a freelance blogger in a videotaped interview. Crampton said the interview came out whenhe had coffee with Thaksin. "He spoke passionately about this week's events in Thailand," he wrote.

The date and time of the interview was not known. It was posted on Crampton's blog on Friday.