Surayud denies role in 2006 coup

Former prime minister Surayud Chulanont yesterday rejected former PM Thaksin Shinawatra's allegations that Surayud was behind the 2006 coup that brought down the Thaksin government.

Surayud said he had nothing to do with the coup and believed that Thaksin had been misinformed.

"We can prove what truly happened. I believe in the rules of karma - one suffers the consequences of one's actions," he said.

Surayud, now a privy councillor, also said he had never attended any meetings allegedly held to plan the coup with General Panlop Pinmanee, the former deputy director-general of the Internal Security Operations Command.

Thaksin made the allegation on Sunday night while addressing supporters in Chiang Mai via a phone-in.

Through the video-link, he said that Panlop had recently told him that Surayud had summoned him for a meeting in a house on Sukhumvit, where two privy councillors accused Thaksin of being disloyal to the monarchy.

Panlop yesterday insisted that a "General S" had indeed held such a meeting, during which the participants agreed to oust Thaksin because he was not loyal to the monarchy. However, he disputed Thaksin's claim of an assassination plot, saying the coup-makers only wanted to detain Thaksin but couldn't since he was overseas.

Meanwhile, Constitution Court judge Charan Pakdithanakul said yesterday that Thaksin's allegations were unfounded because he had been one of the three judges who had conspired to remove his government.

"The allegations are nonsense," Charan said.

He said he would consult his seniors to see if he, as a judge, could counter the allegations.

During his phone-in, Thaksin also accused three judges of being behind his ouster, saying Supreme Administrative Court president Ackaratorn Chularat, Supreme Court president Chanchai Likhitjittha, Charan and Pramote Nakornthap had spread rumours that he was behind the publication of "The King Never Smiles".

In a related development, key politicians from the ruling Democrat Party yesterday accused Thaksin of making false allegations to incite his supporters even though the majority of the population wanted peace.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said Thaksin had made allegations against privy councillors and top judges with the intention of instigating unrest. He also ruled out any chance of negotiating with pro-Thaksin protesters and asking them not to lay siege to Government House on Thursday as previously planned.

Suthep, also the Democrat Party's secretary-general, said the government would deploy police and bring in military forces to block protesters from reaching Government House, especially since the annual Red-Cross Fair is scheduled to be held not far from the protest site.

Thepthai Senpong, personal spokesman to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, responded to Thaksin's allegations saying the former PM had proved that he was averse to the justice system by smearing judges and privy councillors.

"Thaksin has failed totally. He is a fugitive who dares to stand at a pulpit and preach. It is not prisoners, but monks who give sermons," he said.

PM's Office Minister Satit Wongnongtaey said it appeared as if Thaksin's recent addresses were aimed at people close to the monarchy like privy councillors, and called on the former PM to be more responsible with his words.

The Democrat said recent surveys showed that the majority of the population wanted peace and that Thaksin's popularity was waning.