Thaksin denies financing red movement
Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra said in a television interview that Interpol would not execute a Thai warrant for his arrest on terrorism charges because it was politically motivated,.
He told Australian Broadcasting Corp by telephone late Wednesday that he had never supported violent protest.
"Interpol have their own criteria to judge, that is, to not be politically motivated. This is clearly politically motivated and there is no ground," he added.
Thaksin said Interpol, the Paris-based international police intelligence-sharing association, would not act on such a groundless and politically motivated warrant.
An Interpol official was not immediately available for comment on Thursday.
The Thai Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Thaksin on terrorism charges for allegedly involving in the red protests in Bangkok that left 88 people dead.
"In my mind, I always advocate ... peaceful protest," he said. "Thailand needs reconciliation."
He described the burning of buildings blamed on his supporters as a "set up."
"The big fire ... must be the work of (a) professional," he said.
He said it was "definitely" not the work of a red shirt and "it must be well planned ahead."
"As an ex-police (officer), I can assure you that this is a well planned and professionally done" act of arson, he said.
Meanwhile he told New York Times he did not finance or organize the Red Shirt movement that had staged a two-month sit-in here.
"No, no, no," he said.
As evidence, he said that during the military crackdown last week when 15 people died, "I was in Paris — they sent my picture — shopping at Louis Vuitton with my daughter."
After that, as red shirt leaders were being rounded up and arrested in Thailand, he said, he went to the Cannes film festival.
"I am in contact with them, and they ask for advice sometimes," he said, describing his relationship with the protest leaders. Some of those leaders asserted that he was more directly involved.
The telephone interview was one of several media interviews organized by lawyers for Thaksin, who was speaking from an undisclosed location outside Thailand, on the same day they filed an appeal against the terrorism accusation; the charge carries a maximum sentence of death.
"I have been in Uganda, Moscow, Saudi and Lebanon," he said, naming just a few of the countries he has visited on what seems an endless world tour.
"During what is happening in Thailand, I'm traveling for my business in many countries," he said. "How can I become a terrorist?"