The ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra Friday night shut the door of Thailand's political reconciliation by saying "no" to Government's negotiation offer and accusing some military members of being the mastermind of the 2006 coup.

As the ongoing anti Government protests have no sign to decline and the world has become accustomed to a Thailand in political turmoil, analysts see the country's protracted political crisis is far from over.

NEGOTIATION OFFER REJECTED

Upon his return from the G20 Summit in London on Friday, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said his Government was ready to talk with Thaksin to end the current red shirts' protests.

"I have no objection if anyone would suggest themselves as a mediator to talk with Mr. Thaksin for the best solution to end the country' s situation," he said, adding the precondition is everything proceeds under the law and in the country's interests.

Later on Friday however Thaksin rejected outright the negotiation offer in his latest video broadcast to supporters of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD). "The time for talks has passed," he told the red-shirted protesters gathering outside the Government House.

Instead, he warned the Government of a "people's revolution", and called on his supporters to join a mass rally on April 8th at the Royal Plaza.

He also accused Privy Council president Gen Prem Tinsulanonda and Councilor Gen Surayud Chulanont of engineering the 2006 military coup that toppled him.

At the same time some privy councilors are unhappy with the Government's inactive attitude to Thaksin, as Councilor Gen Phichit Kullavanijaya said on Friday that Thaksin has evaded a jail term and used improper words to criticize the high institution yet nothing was being done about it.

NONSTOP PROTESTS

In the second half of last year Bangkok has seen almost daily mass rallies led by the anti-Thaksin People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) against two successive Governments of the People's Power Party (PPP) until the Constitutional Court dismissed the Government in December by dissolving the ruling PPP party. Later that month Abhisit from the Democrat Party was elected Prime Minister and formed a coalition Government.

On March 26, barely three months after Abhisit's inauguration, the pro Thaksin UDD launched another round of protests, the biggest one the new Government ever faced. The red-clad people have been protesting at the Government House and blocking all the entrances to prevent Abhisit and other cabinet members from entering.

According to local media, the UDD leaders are confident that the scheduled mass rally on April 8th would "attract over one million people" and justify their calls for dissolving the coalition Government and holding a new general election.

WHO HOLDS THE KEY?

Since Sept. 19, 2006 when a military coup toppled Thaksin's Government, Thailand seems to have been in ever-lasting political conflicts. The pro Thaksin and anti Thaksin forces kept staging protests in turn. Thaksin's speech on Friday only add more strain to the situation.

Some analysts see a possibility of a fresh coup if the Government fails to gag Thaksin from accusing Gen Prem and Gen Surayud.

Which side holds the key, Thaksin, who expected to see "a revolution by the people" that is larger than the ones in October 1973 and May 1992, or the Abhisit Government, who extended an olive branch to Thaksin but refused his amnesty?

One thing for sure: Thaksin has always been at the core of Thailand's political problem.

Source - China View