Thaksin's plan for civil chaos, and a coup : Suriyasai

Fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has a five-step plan - dubbed the "Dubai declaration" - to try to win his way back to power, secretary-general of the New Politics Party Suriyasai Katasila said yesterday.

Leaders of the Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship flew to meet Thaksin in Dubai recently and brought back his five-step plan, which allegedly aims to cause civil chaos that could lead to a military coup.

The first step called for "alarm-clock mobs". This would entail hundreds of thousands of red shirts amassing on specific dates. The Pheu Thai Party has allegedly been told to be equipped and financially ready to mobilise 10,000 to 20,000 people to divert police attention from a mass rally "waiting for a sign from their big boss to start the chaos".

The second step was to pressure Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to dissolve Parliament by simultaneously organising rallies to besiege several state agencies such as Government House, Parliament, Army Headquarters, Channel 11 and ASTV.

Taxies would be used to block major roads by parking them locked and in gear so they obstruct security agencies from sending in troops or police to keep security.

"This would not only cause traffic paralysis but a vacuum of state power,'' Suriyasai said.

The third step was to stir up civil chaos if the PM does not dissolve Parliament. To achieve this, they planned to set off bombs, assassinate important figures, notably 300 people an "enemy list" of Thaksin, he claimed, such such as leaders of the People's Alliance for Democracy, members of the Assets Examination Committee, Anti-Corruption Commissioners, Constitution Court judges, academics, some politicians and members of the media.

The fourth step went beyond ousting the government and involved seizing Thaksin's Bt76 billion in assets currently "frozen" in Thai banks and toppling the bureaucratic polity.

This was necessary, he said, because Thaksin knew that changing government alone would not be not enough to bring him back to power - he had to clear all legal obstacles in his way.

Privy Council chief Gen Prem Tinsulanonda was the symbol of bureaucratic polity that he must destroy both openly and secretly, Suriyasai said.

If Thaksin could get rid of Prem in any way, he would be able to force the military to swap sides. Thaksin's ultimate goal under this step was pulling strings to instigate a military coup.

The fifth step was to form a national government. After a coup is staged, Thaksin, would take advice from Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, and be ready to negotiate to form a national government and seek amnesty for him and his cohorts.

Suriyasai said if Thaksin failed to talk the military into staging a coup, he would continue to destabilise the country by creating confrontations, rallies and civil chaos, as he had earlier warned that if he could not live with them peacefully, then there would be no peace in the country.

"Thaksin thinks that if it has to end this way, he does not think he will be a loser since the whole country will be in political upheaval," Suriyasai said.