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9/11/2009
Veera Prateepchaikul
Bangkok Post

When Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda made a controversial remark in his recent bid to warn Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, aka "Big Jiew", against joining the Puea Thai Party, I thought he was being a bit too harsh and probably had a negative perception of the opposition party.

As could be expected, Puea Thai felt offended and Big Jiew did not heed the warning, apparently to pursue his final journey in the world of dirty Thai politics.

How could joining the Puea Thai Party be perceived as betraying the country as Gen Prem claims? I didn't get it at all. But I do suspect that there are some in the Puea Thai Party who are so desperate that they will do anything, even soliciting the collaboration of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, to topple the Democrat-led government. Take, for instance, the case of one big shot in the party mailing Hun Sen a VCD containing a speech by Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya criticising the Cambodian premier. Again, I doubt if overthrowing a government constitutes an act of betrayal against the country.

Veera Prateepchaikul is a former editor of Post Publishing Co Ltd.