Terrorism charges against me politically motivated: Shinawatra

LONDON - Fugitive former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has described the terrorism charges inflicted upon him as politically motivated and denied stirring up the violence by anti-government protestors in Bangkok.

According to an ABC report, Thaksin, who was ousted in a 2006 military coup and later fled abroad ahead of a corruption conviction, said he had never supported violent protests.

The Thai Criminal Court has issued arrest warrant against him on charges of fomenting two months of anti-government unrest by his Red Shirt supporters in Bangkok, in which over 188 people were killed.

Thaksin, however, called the charges imposed on him as baseless and said he did not believe the Interpol would act on the issued warrant.

“Interpol have their own criteria to judge, that is, to not be politically motivated. This is clearly politically motivated and there is no ground,” said Thaksin.

“In my mind, I always advocate peaceful protest. The big fire must be the work of a professional,” he added. (ANI)