Pressure Mounts on Thai Leader

As prime minister and one of Thailand’s wealthiest men, Thaksin Shinawatra has run this country for five years as its supreme CEO. But for the last week, there’s one thing he has been unable to do: set foot in his own office.

With thousands of protesters gathering outside Government House and calling for his ouster, Thaksin has decided the best course is to avoid confrontation and stay away. For now, he is running his government from the Foreign Ministry.

“The protesters lay siege to the government -- now they are blocking me from going back to my office,” Thaksin told supporters at a rally last week. “Only you can help me back to Government House by voting for my party on April 2.”

Accused of greed and corruption, Thaksin is fighting to save his political career -- and perhaps his personal fortune -- in a snap election he called in hopes of winning a new mandate and silencing critics.

As the election nears, the country finds itself divided between the urban middle class, who are campaigning to bring Thaksin down, and the rural poor, who see him as their savior.

As head of the Thais Love Thais party, Thaksin has held power for more than five years, longer than any prime minister since Thailand became a constitutional monarchy in 1932.

With control of parliament, he has aggressively pushed an agenda that has widespread support among the poor. He has promised $25,000 to every village and set a fee of 75 cents for all doctor visits.

He also has sought to dominate the media and has been heavy-handed in cracking down on illegal drug use and an insurrection by Muslims in the south. In one incident, 78 Muslim prisoners arrested at a protest suffocated while being transported in military trucks. Nearly 3,000 suspected drug users and dealers were gunned down in his war on drugs, allegedly with the involvement of authorities.

Often called the richest man in Thailand, Thaksin handed over nominal control of his companies to family members when he became prime minister. But critics say he never relinquished control and has used his position to expand his business empire.

For Thaksin’s opponents, the last straw was the sale of the family’s 49.6% stake in the Shin Corp. mobile phone company in January. Days after parliament passed a law removing the tax obligation for such a sale, the family sold its shares to Singapore’s state-owned Temasek Holdings, which is headed by Ho Ching, wife of Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Critics say the maneuver allowed Thaksin and his family to avoid paying as much as $667 million in Thai taxes on the sale.

“He abused his power,” said attorney Pheriapol Viehitra as he sat in the street outside the prime minister’s office with thousands of others demanding Thaksin’s ouster. “He has not allowed any independent investigation. He is misleading people.”

Thaksin’s opponents, including some who were once among his biggest backers, have been calling for him to step down and staging frequent demonstrations in Bangkok, the capital.

A week ago, 100,000 protesters marched to Government House and took over the nearby streets. Setting up a kitchen and rows of multicolored tents, they have maintained their protest round- the-clock, with numbers ranging from the hundreds to the tens of thousands. They vow not to leave until Thaksin is removed.

In the cool of the evening, protesters sit politely on plastic sheets and listen to speaker after speaker criticize Thaksin. With food stalls and anti-Thaksin T-shirt stands, the protest has the atmosphere of a street fair -- except for the hundreds of riot police on the perimeter.

The protesters come from Thailand’s elite: businesspeople, lawyers, professors, stockbrokers, teachers and shop owners. “Thaksin Get Out” is emblazoned on signs and T-shirts. Placards call for nonviolence and “Change Through Peace.”

Opponents acknowledge that Thaksin may win a majority in parliament because of his popularity in the countryside, which they attribute to Thaksin’s control of the nation’s television.

“He sells dreams to the poor,” said a math teacher who gave his name as Wirote. “He is the only hope for them to escape from poverty. But he’s a liar. It’s impossible.”

Three main opposition parties have called for a boycott of the election, which could undermine its legitimacy and lead to empty seats in parliament. Under election rules, vacancies could prevent the legislature from choosing a prime minister.

The opposition alleged over the weekend that Thaksin’s party had tried to insure itself against empty seats by illegally paying candidates from minor parties to run.

Three witnesses, who claimed they were involved, said Thaksin supporters had obtained access to electoral records and altered candidates’ registrations.

Asked about the charge during a campaign stop, Thaksin called it “nonsense.”

“April 2 is the day for people to choose whether to let mob rule prevail or give the democratic process a chance to work,” he told supporters earlier. “I represent the democratic process.”

For many of Thaksin’s critics, the solution rests with King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who could ask Thaksin to step down. Bhumibol, who is widely respected, has been king for nearly 60 years but seldom intervenes in politics.

One businesswoman at the demonstration, wearing an anti-Thaksin headband and carrying a protest sign, summed it up: “We hope the king will give us a new government.”