Democrat Party spokesperson: extradition treaty not politically motivated

Democrat Party spokesperson: extradition treaty not politically motivated

Democrat Party Spokesperson Buranaj Samutharak asserts Thailand-Hong Kong’s extradition treaty is a collaboration to reach an agreement, not a political motive as alleged by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Mr Buranaj said that the Democrat Party wanted the Government to affirm that charges against Mr Thaksin were not political, and Mr Thaksin was not a political prisoner but a criminal.

Mr Buranaj’s statement was in response to former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s allegation that extradition treaty between Thailand and Hong Kong was discriminatory and politically motivated.

Mr Buranaj also said that the extradition treaty was for criminal cases, not political ones. He added that the treaty was a result from the collaboration to reach an agreement between Thailand and Hong Kong, which had been in progress from recent past.

Regarding the coming censure debate that Phua Thai Party said that the party would not bring up sexual scandals as debating agenda, Mr Buranaj said that Phua Thai Party might have realized that the current Thai society would not accept old politics as much as before so they decided to change the agenda.

National News Bureau of Thailand
9 March 2009