Abhisit questions Thaksin's role as leader of 'class war'

"Thailand no longer has social classes called ammart and phrai. People are equal under the Constitution although they have unequal opportunities," the premier told TV Channel 5, referring to the terms used by Thaksin and his red-shirt supporters.

Under the old absolute monarchy, ammart was used refer to bureaucrats and phrai to commoners.

"Is Thaksin an ammart or a phrai? He was prime minister and super-rich. Over the five years Khun Thaksin was prime minister, the country saw public debts increase twofold while his wealth rose twofold. Inequality is normal in any society, but it should not be used to incite hatred in society," Abhisit said.

He said he had seen contrasting photos in a newspaper of protesters sleeping on the road and of Thaksin and his children in a foreign country.

"It's the duty of every government to solve the chronic problem of social inequality. But it is not easy. My government is also trying to solve the problem," Abhisit said.

The premier asked whether Thaksin had tried to solve the problem of inequality between ammart and phrai while serving as prime minister between 2001 and 2006.

Abhisit said that in addition to implementing policies aimed at reducing economic gaps between people in society, his government is pushing for the introduction of the country's first land and property tax.

"This can help reduce the gap between people who have large amounts of land and those who have no land at all," he added.

Thaksin did not respond directly to Abhisit but said in his video-link to his supporters last night that he had been asked by Bangkokians not to use the word phrai.

"May I ask the core leaders of the red shirts that because people in Bangkok don't like the word, can we change to call ourselves 'ordinary citizens' instead," he said.

He explained that the term phrai was used in feudal society to refer to peasants, as opposed to the "nobles" and "blue bloods".

The ex-PM urged the nation's aristocrats to give justice to the people and not to please only one side but to love both sides - yellow and red - equally.

"The reds and yellows at the beginning emerged from a minor conflict, but now the divide is so deep because the aristocrats have a bias against one side," he said. "One side can violate the law while the other never receives justice," he said.

Such prejudice will never solve the problem, but will create more red-shirted people, he said. "The red-shirted people will never become extinct," he said.

"Don't think I have a lot of money [to hire them]; you have robbed me of Bt40 billion," he said. "I have earned money because I have a brain - and my brain is useful, not dangerous."