Billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra Seeks Personal Fiefdom in Northern Thailand

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January 30, 2014 (ATN) – For years, Thaksin Shinawatra, his political machine, and his Western backers have attempted to sell “liberation ideology” to the north and northeast of Thailand, in an attempt to implement imperialism’s favorite stratagem – divide and conquer.

Now, the Western media and Thaksin Shinawatra’s embattled proxy regime are openly making plans to consolidate their crumbling support base in the north of Thailand in the city of Chiang Mai, and declare it the “capital.” 

Image: “This country has no justice. We want to split the country” (Photo by Saiarun Pinaduang)

South China Morning Post would report in their article, “Red-shirts ‘ready to resist’ Thai army coup, set up capital in Chiang Mai,” that:

The embattled Thai government’s hardline “red-shirt” supporters in the country’s north say they are ready to resist any attempt by the military to stage a coup.

Some supporters say they also expect popularly elected Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to retreat to Chiang Mai and set up government there if the army tries to take power in Bangkok amid ongoing anti-government demonstrations.

While some experts consider the government relocating an unlikely prospect, supporters like red-shirt activist Mahawang Kawang say their movement is large enough to challenge the military.

“We have no fear. All red groups will unite. We are willing to sacrifice our lives,” said Kawang, who is president of the alumni association of Yupparaj school in Chiang Mai where Yingluck was once a student.

In Phayao province, also in the north of Thailand, a professionally made banner appeared on a pedestrian bridge calling for the division of Thailand. Bangkok Post’s article, “‘Split Thailand’ banner in Phayao,” stated:

A vinyl banner bearing a message in Thai which can be translated as “This country has no justice. Gu want to split the country” has been posted on a pedestrian flyover in Muang district of the northern province of Phayao.

A banner bearing a Thai message which can be translated as “This country has no justice. Gu want to split the country” appeared on this walkover in the northern province of Phayao, a stronghold of Pheu Thai and red shirts, on Tuesday.

Gu is an informal and impolite Thai pronoun which means I.

The Economist, which has toed a pro-Thaksin line for years, eagerly penned, “Political crisis in Thailand: You go your way, I’ll go mine,” which claimed: 

Indeed, many red shirts say Bangkok is already lost. Mr Suthep has nearly free rein there, closing down most government offices. The police have charged him with insurrection and seizing state property, but no attempt has been made to arrest him. The imposition of a state of emergency for 60 days may not make much difference. 

Thus most red shirts in the north and north-east now contemplate—indeed they seem to be preparing for—a political separation from Bangkok and the south. Some can barely wait. In Chiang Mai a former classmate of Mr Thaksin’s says that in the event of a coup “the prime minister can come here and we will look after her. If…we have to fight, we will. We want our separate state and the majority of red shirts would welcome the division.” Be afraid for Thailand as the political system breaks down. 

While the Economist’s narrative is easily picked apart, clearly this is a narrative the West is deeply interested in laying the groundwork for, ahead of preparations Thaksin Shinawatra and his regime have been making for years. Despite hemorrhaging support, it appears the regime is still attempting to carry out the conspiracy.  

It should be remembered that the current regime in Thailand, as reported by Forbes and the New York Times, is openly run by accused mass murderer, convicted criminal, and fugitive Thaksin Shinawatra, who is ruling the nation from his palatial lodgings in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. In a arrangement that would be unthinkable, even laughable in the West, the Western media has attempted to cover up the overt illegitimacy and criminality of the current ruling party and is laying the groundwork to legitimize the division of Thailand.   

An already illegitimate regime attempting to carve out a personal fiefdom in the north of Thailand, constitutes an act of egregious treason. Should Thaksin Shinawatra’s “hardline red-shirt supporters” attempt to use violence to carry out their latest and most outlandish threat, it will justify Thailand’s institutions to completely and utterly uproot the regime, it’s leadership and its political infrastructure. It would be difficult for the West to defend such a move, seeing how talk of secession would not be tolerated back on their own shores.

While some believe talk of division is a prelude to “civil war,” it should be noted that such a scenario is demographically, politically, and operationally impossible. At most, these “hardline” supporters number a few thousand and would be easily overwhelmed by Thailand’s formidable military. What is likely to happen instead, is a large scale terror campaign dressed up as a “popular uprising,” in hopes of being spun long  enough to allow the ousted regime to seek political recognition and perhaps even protection from its Western backers. But even this would appear to be a gamble as the regime stumbles over its own incompetence to a greater degree each day – and with a respected national military most likely well aware of the plan and fully prepared to disrupt it.