Autocratic leader his own worst enemy

Thaksin Shinawatra

BANGKOK - It has been almost too easy to caricature Thailand's Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra; like Silvio Berlusconi, the European counterpart to whom he is so often compared, he gave plenty of ammunition to his enemies.

The billionaire businessman described Washington as a "useless friend" after the US denounced his human rights record, and he fumed that "the United Nations is not my father" after diplomats questioned his bloody campaign against drug dealers, which resulted in 3000 extra-judicial killings.

He even hid the first outbreak of bird flu in a vain attempt to protect Thai poultry exports, almost risking a global pandemic.

The anti-Thaksin chants that resounded in Bangkok's streets this spring were gradually taken up by Thais across all generations and classes. And now the Army has risen up against the autocratic policeman turned billionaire Premier.

The efforts of Thai Rak Thai, the ruling party founded by Thaksin in 1998, have backfired. After five years in office, Thaksin's era is drawing to an end.

Thaksin's critics have always maintained that an excess of hubris and greed would bring about his downfall. The dam only broke when he used a legal loophole to sell his family's telecommunications conglomerate, ShinCorp, overseas and secure a tax-free profit of US$1.9 billion.

His son, through an offshore company with the almost comically apt name of Ample Rich, was fined for profiteering.

When Thaksin called a snap election in April, rival parties boycotted it and a political stalemate resulted. The court threw out the results and his caretaker Government stumbled along with no Parliament.

Street demonstrations grew rowdier, tens of thousands demanded their arrogant leader get out of government.

- INDEPENDENT