Supporters of fugitive Thai politician mark his birthday (1st Lead)

Jul 26, 2009, 8:48 GMT

   Bangkok - Supporters of fugitive Thai former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra gave alms to Buddhist monks nationwide and flocked to temples Sunday to make merit for the controversial populist politician on his 60th birthday.

   Thousands of Thais, sporting red shirts, gave alms to Buddhist monks and attended prayers at temples to mark the birthday of Thaksin, who has been living in self-exile since August, 2008, and faces a two-year jail sentence in Thailand, according to media reports.

   Thaksin has promised a 'special surprise' Sunday night, to be revealed during a video-taped call-in to his supporters gathered at a popular Bangkok restaurant for his birthday bash.

   The pro-Thaksin United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) has organized various events to celebrate Thaksin's birthday, including the baking of 2,492 cakes to mark the year of his birth in the Buddhist era, and the signing of a 2,492-foot-long birthday card, which they hope will make the Guinness Book of Records.

   In Bangkok, a birthday banquet at the Royal Dragon Restaurant was scheduled to be held Sunday evening with 350 tables and about 3,500 guests for Thaksin's relatives and political allies, who will be treated to the former telecommunications tycoon's 'special surprise.'

   Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejajjiva, when asked on his Sunday TV show about all the hubbub over Thaksin's birthday, had a religious message for the ex-leader.

   'I would like to say 'if you are enlightened and understand dharma, you will be much happier,'' said Abhisit.

   Dharma is the Buddhist belief in reaping what you sow, either in this life or the next.

   Thaksin, never shy about publicity during his premierships between 2001 to 2006, is the main decision-maker and financier behind the UDD and the Puea Thai opposition party.

   Although a fugitive from justice, he remains a central player in Thai politics and a threat to the current coalition government's fragile stability.

   On April 11-12, red-shirted Thaksin supporters raided the venue of a South-East Asian summit at Pattaya beach resort, forcing Abhisit to cancel the event.

   Thaksin, through call-ins, urged his followers to stage a 'people's revolution' at the time and was widely blamed for instigating the resulting violence and damage to Thailand's reputation.

   The mayhem prompted a crackdown on UDD followers in Bangkok, and has shifted domestic security to the hands of the politically-powerful army rather than the police, many of whom support Thaksin, who was a former police officer himself.

   In the 1980-1990's Thaksin became a billionaire off publicly-awarded telecommunication concessions in new services such as beepers and mobile phones.

   His decision in January, 2006 to sell his family's holdings in the Shin Corp in a tax-free deal arguably marked the beginning of his political downfall, turning the Bangkok-based middle and upper classes against him.

   On September 19, 2006, he was ousted by a military coup, forcing him to live in self-exile throughout 2007, but his group returned to power when the pro-Thaksin People Power Party won the December, 2008, general election.

   In July, 2008, the Bangkok Criminal Court found Thaksin's then-wife Potjaman, guilty of tax evasion and sentenced her to three years in jail, prompting the couple to flee.

   And in October the Supreme Court for Political Office Holders found Thaksin guilty of abuse of power for allowing his wife to successfully bid on a plot of prime Bangkok land at a public auction in 2003, when he was still prime minister.

   He was sentenced in absentia to two years in jail and bailed to launch an appeal before the deadline.

   Another court case was launched earlier this month to determine whether Thaksin illegally obtained some 2 billion dollars in frozen bank accounts in Thailand from the Shin Corp sale.

   Despite his fugitive status, Thaksin remains beloved among Thailand's rural poor who were on the receiving end of his populist policies such as cheap health care and housing.

   His ongoing popularity was demonstrated last month in two by-election in the North-East which were won by the pro-Thaksin Puea Thai Party candidates.

   An opinion survey conducted last week by Assumption University found that Thaksin was rated as the most popular leader by 34 per cent of the respondents, compared with Abhisit's 32.9 per cent.