A red-shirt magazine issued during the New Year has a feature article about Thaksin and King Taksin, who rescued Siam from the Burmese over 200 hundred years ago. ASTV-Manager finds this a serious affront to the current dynasty.
ASTV-Manager reported on 1 Jan about the latest issue of the red-shirt bi-weekly Voice of Taksin.
On the front cover is a picture of the King Taksin Monument at Wongwian Yai on the Thon Buri side of the Chao Phraya River, with the headline ‘Cyclical karma of history, Taksin returns’, while the back cover shows a picture of Thaksin Shinawatra.
According to the ASTV-Manager report, the 6-page feature article, written under a pen name [which can be translated as Musketeer of Thon Buri, which King Taksin established as the capital in his reign and is now part of Bangkok] tells of the skills of the King and his tragic end, when he was killed together with all his family members.
The official history taught in schools says that King Taksin went insane and was the cause of chaos in the country. His short-lived dynasty was replaced by the current Chakri dynasty. His tragic end has evoked sympathy in the hearts of Thais for over 200 years. Some independent academics, who are sceptical of the history of the victors, have conducted research and believe that King Taksin was not insane and his throne was seized in a coup, the magazine article says.
The article goes on to say that King Taksin has not been granted his due honour by the Chakri dynasty, and there has been an attempt to erase the name Krung Thon Buri [Thon Buri capital] from the memory of the people.
In the article, Thaksin is found to have some similarities to King Taksin; they are both northerners, have Chinese origins, rescued the country from great crises (Burmese and IMF occupations), and have similar names.
The article says that the Abhisit government has tried to accuse the red shirts of plotting a ‘Taksin 2’ plan to overthrow the regime, but without evidence so far.
Towards the end, the article also says that the late former Prime Minister Khuang Abhaiwongse, a founding member and the first leader of the Democrat Party, descended from Chao Phraya Abhai Phubes (Ban) who joined the coup that toppled King Taksin.
‘Political conflicts in Thailand still reflect and connect to the history of King Taksin. And who knows when these will ever end, and who will be the next victims? Will the deeds of the past be avenged? 2010 will provide the answer to the cyclical karma of Taksin,’ the article says.
A photograph of Pheua Phaen Din Party leader and Industry Minister Charnchai Chairungruang appears on page 69, together with his New Year blessing to the Thais.
ASTV-Manager says that the Voice of Taksin magazine is affiliated with the red-shirt TV station, called D-station, which is based at Imperial World Lad Phrao Department Store. It lists the names of many red-shirt leaders and Thaksin’s aides as executives of the magazine.
