Shinawatra meets with Bainimarama
10-Jul-2009 08:44 AM

Ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra met Fiji’s Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama here this week.

Government spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Neumi Leweni confirmed the meeting on Monday, but could not disclose what was discussed.

The Thai politician who is a billionaire in his own right was reported to be offering an investment package of US$280 million in return for being offered asylum.

It is not clear whether the matter was discussed in the meeting.

According to Pacnews, Shinawatra also met with local government officials, including investment authorities.

The meeting took place before Bainimarama jetted out of the country on his way to the Melanesian Spearhead Group meeting in Vanuatu.

Pacnews said Thaksin traveled in his private plane from his temporary base of Dubai and stopped for refuelling in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, before arriving in Fiji.

He stayed overnight in Fiji and departed for Tonga on Tuesday.

Thaksin is wanted in Thailand to answer corruption charges.

Reports say that Thaksin used an assumed name to enter Fiji, although his true identity was known to the authorities, who approved his visit in advance. The Thai government has cancelled Thaksin’s Thai passport, and says he is currently using a passport issued by Montenegro.

Thailand’s deputy prime minister, Thaworn Sennian, said Thaksin had earlier flown to the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, where he stayed en route to Fiji. Thai embassy officials immediately sought Thaksin’s arrest and extradition.

“Somehow, Thaksin managed to get wind of the impending arrest and escaped,” Thaworn is reported saying.

Thaksin was believed to be heading next for Tonga and then to Port Vila in Vanuatu, which is tomorrow hosting the annual meeting of the heads of the Melanesian Spearhead Group of countries - Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Fiji.

Thaksin’s legal adviser, Noppadon Patama, said the stopover in Kuala Lumpur was merely in order to refuel the jet.

He said there was no attempt to arrest him in Malaysia. He said foreign leaders were willing to welcome Thaksin because they understood the charges against him were politically motivated.


Thailand’s deputy foreign minister, Panich Vikitsreth, said extradition requests had been filed to Malaysia and to Australia, apparently in the hope Canberra could use its influence in Fiji.

Thaksin was a senior police officer who built a telecommunications empire worth billions of dollars.

He became Thailand’s prime minister from 2001 before being ousted in a military coup in September 2006, while he was attending the UN general assembly.