Thai opposition leader wants to 'end' Thaksin regime next week

On February 23, protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban announced that the protest movement will consider a campaign against the government and the entire Shinawatra business group to soon end the "game" to overthrow the Thaksin regime next week.

The announcement comes as many protesters believe the Thai government has been pushed into a deadlock and the political crisis will be resolved within the next week.

Anti-government protesters in Bangkok on January 17. (Photo: AFP/VNA)

Mr. Suthep affirmed that the protest movement will continue to “hunt” the prime minister, but not to harm her but only to demand her resignation. According to him, there are more and more Thais who want to remove the Thaksin regime from the country.

The Puea Thai Party says the protest movement is drawing up a four-step plan to topple the current government by mid-April. This plan could create a political vacuum and lead to a confrontation between supporters of both sides.

The plan includes: removing Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra through corruption allegations so that the government's executive seat is left vacant; removing all members of the Cabinet through corruption accusations to prevent anyone from replacing Yingluck; proposing to cancel the results of the February 2 general election if a new government cannot be formed within 30 days after the election is completed; seeking to ban from political activities 308 lawmakers (in both the House of Representatives and the Senate) who support the constitutional amendment.

The Pheu Thai Party believes that the protest leaders are trying to use the protest movement to overthrow the entire government. However, this plan will fail because they cannot control the entire country. If the government is removed by such measures, the people, who hold the ultimate power, will not accept it.

The Pheu Thai Party also warned Mr. Suthep's protest movement to wisely choose not to let the country be dragged into division.

On the same day, February 23, 4,000 leaders of the pro-government Red Shirt Movement from all over gathered in Nakhon Ratchasima province. During this meeting, the Red Shirts agreed to change their strategic goals to target the anti-government protest movement and independent investigative agencies and the court system.

Red shirt leaders claim that millions of Red shirt supporters are ready to flock to Bangkok to see for themselves whether they will be "massacred" as happened in 2010?

The atmosphere in Bangkok has become extremely tense in recent days. Prime Minister Yingluck has not appeared in public since protest leaders threatened to hunt her down.

Protesters have repeatedly laid siege to businesses linked to the Shinawatra family. Mr Suthep has led a boycott of mobile phone provider AIS, affecting tens of thousands of people linked to its employees.

According to the Thai Emergency Response Center, at least two more people have died and 22 others were injured in a grenade explosion at a shopping mall near a protest area in the capital Bangkok.

Earlier, another grenade explosion occurred in the area of ​​the Civil Court. However, this explosion did not cause any injuries or material damage./.

According to VNA