BANGKOK, Dec 22 — Thailand's Prime Minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, on Monday called on the country's convicted former prime minister Thaksin Shianawatra to return home to face justice.
Speaking in regard to Thaksin's complaint that he hadn't received fair treatment from the government, Abhisit asked to which government the ex-premier was referring, the Thailand news agency reported.
Thailand's judicial process is fair and reliable, Abhisit emphasised while urging Thaksin to fight his corruption charges in the Thai courts.
The prime minister said Thaksin's phone-in to his supporters in many events could be done but that the former premier shouldn't say anything to provoke disturbances, as the Thai people had been suffering from political turmoil for a year.
Asked if the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must do something to prevent Mr. Thaksin from using another country as a base for his criticism of the government, Abhisit said he didn't know where Thaksin was at the moment.
However, the Prime Minister said he believed that no country knowingly wanted to be used in such a way as to interfere in Thai politics.
Thaksin, ousted in a coup in 2006, was convicted in absentia in October and sentenced to two years in jail for violating a conflict of interest law.
Meanwhile, Thaksin's lawyers were released from prison on Monday after they finished serving six-month imprisonment.
On June 25, the Supreme Court sentenced Thana Tansiri along with Pichit Chuenban and his aide, Suphasri Srisawat to six months each in prison for attempted Bt2 million (US$1=Bt34.55) bribery at the Supreme Court.
Thana (Mr) handed over an intended bribe in 1,000-baht banknotes in a snack box to a court official.
The lawyer had said it was just a pack of chocolates when the incident was first brought to light.
