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I must confess I am at my wit's end. Despite my utmost efforts, I can't really figure it out what to make of this highly significant political riddle. Perhaps you can tell me whether an Abhisit-Thaksin summit (off the record or otherwise) could take place at all after you have digested the nuances and subtleties that I have managed to extract from the current prime minister and ex-premier.
This was my exchange with PM Abhisit during a "Twitter interview" on Monday night on this particular subject: Q: Thaksin says he is ready to talk to you. Will you talk to him? A: I thought he said he wouldn't talk to me. Q: He said he was ready ... but he didn't know who to talk to. A: You see? Q: Aren't you trying to play hard to get? A: No, it has nothing to do with my personal feelings. My duty is to follow the law. Khun Thaksin must abide by the law like everyone else. Q: A Twitter follower has a question for you: If you had a face-to-face meeting with Thaksin, what would you tell him? A: I will tell him to come under the law - and then society will think about forgiveness. Q: Does that mean that if Thaksin didn't come back to serve his jail term, you wouldn't talk to him? A: I want everyone to respect the law. Q: Mr Abhisit, you are not answering my question. A: If you read carefully, the answer is there. Q: Can I presume it's the way I interpret it? A: Probably, yes. Q: If I invite both of you for a chat, would you come? A: Khun Thaksin wouldn't come. You and I are in Thailand. Q: Well, we can chat through Twitter A: The number of permissible characters [on Twitter] is too small. Q: Brevity may at times be better. Lengthy talk may lead to the trouble we are facing today. A: Some things need to go in-depth. We can't be superficial about it. Q: That means both sides continue to speculate on the other's direction then? A: No one needs to guess my direction. I am interested only in the country's direction, and to do the right things. The next day, Thaksin wrote in his Twitter account: "Mr Abhisit says I don't want to meet him. Who wouldn't want to meet the prime minister? But I also realise that Khun Abhisit is very busy with lots of problems. I can wait." On the same evening, Thaksin went on his Internet radio programme, repeating the same theme, adding: "I am ready to work together (with anyone) for the country's sake but the main condition is that there must be justice for me." There you are. Perhaps the two aren't meant to meet anytime soon anyway. What it boils down to, I presume, is this: Thaksin wants to tell Abhisit: "I will return only after an amnesty." Abhisit in turn might want to make it loud and clear: "Come home. No one can stop you. I will visit you in jail." |
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