Newin to Thaksin: Tell your men to stop hurting the monarchy

His voice choked with emotion, Newin said if he could ask for two things from Thaksin after "risking my life" for him, he would want the former prime minister to "tell his men" to stop "hurting" the monarch and ending activities that could damage Thailand as a whole.

The political drama unfolded on TV as Newin and his colleagues appeared at a press conference to rebut claims by the redshirted movement that they had "betrayed" Thaksin.

The "real betrayal" and "utter show of ingratitude", he said, was Thaksin's treatment of Samak Sundaravej when he was made to believe that Thaksin was 100 per cent behind efforts to reinstate him as prime minister last year. Newin claimed Thaksin betrayed Samak by asking coalition allies and some People Power Party MPs to back Somchai Wongsawat as prime minister after Samak had been disqualified in the cooking show controversy.

Newin asked red shirted protesters who planned to join in a mass rally on Wednesday to reconsider their decision, saying their leaders had ulterior motive beyond toppling Abhisit government.

Newin, who once a right hand man of runaway ex-PM Thaksin Shinawtara, said that the leaders of the protesters have held people hostage in order to achieve their goals and for their own benefits.

"Please think twice, the red shirt protesters. You all are being used. Your leaders have hidden agenda beyond what they told you, beyond ousting this government," he said.

Newin's voice was choked with emotion when he said he was ready to die for the monarchy and would do anything to fight those who wanted to destroy the monarchy.

In his phone-ins, Thaksin has encouraged the protesters to join the mass rally on April 8, to oust Abhisit government.

He directed most of his press conference on denying that he betrayed Thaksin by turning to support Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva to form the government.

"It is Khun Thaksin that betrayed us all, particularly on exPrime Minister Samak Sundaravej. Khun Thaksin and his Thai Rak Thai party had done everything to push for Samak to become prime minister.

However it was him that finally betrayed Khun Samak by not voting for him to be reappointed as prime minister.