Thailand Going After Protesters' Financial Backers
Thaksin Shinawatra
The arson attacks mirrored  albeit with far more violence  a campaign launched in early 2006 by opponents of Thaksin to boycott businesses close to the then prime minister. Six months later  the military removed Thaksin and set up a commission to investigate his business network.
 That investigation began a long effort to choke off Thaksin's money. It climaxed in February when Thailand's Supreme Court confiscated $1.4 billion of frozen Thaksin assets. The court ruling allowed him to keep about $900 million. Soon after the court decision  red shirts began mobilizing for an occupation of downtown Bangkok.
 Sean Boonpracong  a former resident of Herndon  Va.  who helped lead the red- shirt invasion  said after release from military interrogation over the weekend that protesters got $130 000 a day _ far less than official estimates _ from "friends of Thaksin" for food  generator fuel and other supplies. He denied that any had been used to buy weapons  adding that red shirts discussed setting up an armed wing but rejected the idea.
 Some of those on the blacklist sympathized with the red shirt cause  which boiled down to a demand that the government quit and call early elections that would possibly return Thaksin's allies to power. A shopping center owned by one targeted businessman leased space to a host of now-defunct red-shirt ventures  including an anti-government TV station  a journal called Red News  the Red Cafe and also the Red Shop  filled with Thaksin dolls  Thaksin T-shirts and books praising Thaksin.
 The government has given no evidence of misbehavior by Prayudh other than a long association with Thaksin. The corporate headquarters of Thainox displays a 2001 photo of Prayudh receiving a business award from Thaksin.
The arson attacks mirrored  albeit with far more violence  a campaign launched in early 2006 by opponents of [TGT] to boycott businesses close to the then prime minister. Six months later  the military removed [TGT] and set up a commission to investigate [TGT] business network.
 That investigation began a long effort to choke off [TGT]'s money. It climaxed in February when Thailand's Supreme Court confiscated $1.4 billion of frozen [TGT] assets. The court ruling allowed [TGT] to keep about $900 million. Soon after the court decision  red shirts began mobilizing for an occupation of downtown Bangkok.
 Sean Boonpracong  a former resident of Herndon  Va.  who helped lead the red- shirt invasion  said after release from military interrogation over the weekend that protesters got $130 000 a day _ far less than official estimates _ from "friends of [TGT]" for food  generator fuel and other supplies. He denied that any had been used to buy weapons  adding that red shirts discussed setting up an armed wing but rejected the idea.
 Some of those on the blacklist sympathized with the red shirt cause  which boiled down to a demand that the government quit and call early elections that would possibly return [TGT]'s allies to power. A shopping center owned by one targeted businessman leased space to a host of now-defunct red-shirt ventures  including an anti-government TV station  a journal called Red News  the Red Cafe and also the Red Shop  filled with [TGT] dolls  Thaksin T-shirts and books praising [TGT].
 The government has given no evidence of misbehavior by Prayudh other than a long association with [TGT]. The corporate headquarters of Thainox displays a 2001 photo of Prayudh receiving a business award from [TGT].