Daily Lesson from Life 10 November 2008

"Thailand to push Thaksin extradition wherever he goes: officials

BANGKOK - Thai authorities vowed Monday to press for the extradition of Thaksin Shinawatra no matter where he lives, as the ousted prime minister searched for a refuge after Britain revoked his visa.

Thaksin, toppled in a military coup in September 2006, was last month sentenced in absentia to two years in jail for conflict of interest after helping his wife Pojaman buy state-owned land when he was premier.

Local media reported that the multi-millionaire is in China, with some saying he is set to fly to the Philippines, which Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat - Thaksin's brother-in-law - visited Monday.

"No matter China or the Philippines, we have an extradition treaty with both countries," Sirisak Tiypan, director general for international affairs of the Office of the Attorney General, told AFP."


What did not appeared on this blog is a picture of Mr. Thaksin crying. A proud and rich man who once was the most popular PM for Thailand in a long while probably never envisioned such a fate when he first fled Thailand after he was forced to leave the country after a bloodless military coup. In fact, he was pretty confident he can swiftly returned to Thailand after his proxy won the General Election after the coup government relinquished it's hold on power. He enjoyed the fame of owning an English football club, Manchester City, and even took the team to visit Thailand! Nothing foretold his current predicament of been rejected by the British government and not able to find a country to take him and his billion in!!

I have written about how great leaders fell from grace before. Here are the lessons again:

1. there will always be those against you and those for you. No matter who they are, you will be alright as long as you are doing the right things and benefiting the majority of the people you are leading. When the rules of law is applied and you can stand on your own two feet with nothing to fear, you are alright!;

2. money is great but it is not the most important and all powerful mean to good leadership. Actually having too much money and not able to control your own desires and unable to balance between reality and fantasy normally set the rich and powerful into their downfall! Do not be blinded by enormous wealth. What it meant is that without the wealth, nobody will want to listen to you or work for you. They did what they have to do to get to your wealth! Not because they believed in your causes, your way of doing right! This will be tragic if you only found out at the end of your life journey!;

3. you will only be free if you confront your wrongdoing and repent and make amend. Only through that responsible act can you reclaim your lost life! A man in Mr. Thaksin situation can end it all by serving any sentences that are meted down by a impartial court of laws and after the completion of his sentences, he will be a free man again. He can take up his new vision to do good for Thailand again if he wanted to.

I feel for the man as he is a very capable businessman and a political leader. May he find his peace in this turbulent time!!