Ousted Thai PM urges king to intervene in crisis

BANGKOK — Exiled Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra urged Thailand's widely respected king on Wednesday to intervene in a political conflict that led to the capital being paralyzed for several days of violent demonstrations by the ousted politician's supporters.

The appeal came after the government announced it revoked the personal passport of Thaksin, who it accuses of stoking the protests. He has been on the run since fleeing Thailand ahead of a corruption conviction last year, returning only once — briefly — while his allies were in power.

A day after a mounting crackdown by the army led his supporters to end demonstrations that resulted in two deaths and 123 injuries, Thaksin said King Bhumibol Adulyadej should help quell the political unrest.

"I have urged his majesty to intervene," Thaksin said in an interview with France-24 television from Dubai. "He is the only person that can intervene ... otherwise the violence will become wider and also the confrontation would be more and more."

The 81-year-old monarch is revered in this Southeast Asian nation, enjoying wide support among Thais regardless of political affiliation.

Thaksin said the king should work to reconcile the factions in Thailand, which has been wracked by a growing rift between the ousted leader's mainly poor, rural backers and the urban elites who support his opponents.

The government said Thaksin's personal passport was revoked Sunday. It had already revoked his diplomatic passport.

"If we believe the person who holds the passport is doing anything that could undermine the security of the nation, then we have the right to revoke the passport," Foreign Ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat said.

Since fleeing, Thaksin has been spotted in Central America, London, Dubai and Hong Kong, among other places. He has said previously that several countries have offered to issue him passports.

A state of emergency remained in place Wednesday, with soldiers continuing to patrol key intersections in the capital.

Police were searching for the protest leaders, only three of whom were in custody, checking airports in case some tried to flee the country, local television stations said. The three in custody were expected in court Thursday, their lawyers said.