Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Visiting of neighboring countries by opposition chairman may cause trouble: Thai deputy PM

BANGKOK, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said Tuesday it is possible that visits of neighboring countries by the chairman of the opposition may cause trouble to the government.

General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, chairman of the leading opposition Puea Thai Party, earlier said he has planned to visit neighboring countries, including Myanmar.

It is normal that General Chavalit, who was the former Thai premier, has had good relationships with the neighboring countries, Thai News Agency quote Suthep as saying.

However, Suthep, who is in charge of security affairs, has conceded that General Chavalit's visits may cause trouble to the coalition government, if he will say something, which will lead to confusion.

"The government will use all facts as tool to discuss with the neighboring countries, hence, whatever General Chavalit will say, I have insisted I will speak the truth (to clarify to the neighboring countries)," Suthep said.

In October, General Chavalit visited Cambodia and met with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Hun Sen earlier had said that ousted former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra could be in Cambodia as his guest and he would provide a residence for him.

Thaksin was ousted by the military coup in September, 2006, in accusation of corruption, and has been kept in exile since then.

He returned to Thailand in February, 2008 to face corruption charges, but he later fled into exile again and was convicted in absentia.

Editor: Anne Tang

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