Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra face anti-government rally on Saturday demanding his resignation. The rally was lead by media tycoon Sondhi Limthongkul. Both Thaksin and Sondhi are chinese decent.
Media tycoon Sondhi Limthongkul come to limelight when he launch a pan-Asian newspaper Asia Times in 1995 to rival Asia Wall Street Journal. He claim that Asia Wall Street Journal published western view point and Asia required it own paper to published Asia view point. His definition of Asia: excluding Japan and Korea, more narrow than Malaysia ex-Prime Minister Tun Mahathir definition of Asia which only excluding Australia and New Zealand. Asia Times went down in flames when the financial crisis erupted in 1997. One of Sondhi Limthougkul's monthly magazine Asia Inc has been taken over and run by by Malaysia's The Edge.
Sondhi Limthougkul said he only seeking freedom of speech so that newspaper control by him able to published news on abusing power, cronyism and corruption. But the reaction of Thanksin's government has force him to battle with the government to protect his own interest.
Thanksin has withdraw a legal action against Sondhi's newspaper under the advise of King.
Nanyang Siang Pao on 16 Jan 2006 commented that the battle is a conflict of business interest between family of Thanksin and Sondhi. Nanyang further commented that Thanksin ruling party won more than 80% of the parliament seat during election held on February last year make him the only Prime Minister to have two term in office in history of Thailand. Thus, Sondhi organized rally, despite reasonable, difficult to stand on legal ground.
Today's Nanyang reported that teacher in Thailand has joint the rally to protest the Prime Minister.
Update: Thai PM defends record after five years in power
TechnoratiTag:Asia Commentary Malaysia News and politics Opinion Politik
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