Thai leader's letter to Bush inflames political crisis

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) Thailand's political crisis is heating up again, this time with the focus on the United States and President George W. Bush.

Embattled Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has faced a cacophony of criticism at home for a letter he dashed off to the U.S. president last month, explaining Thailand's current political mess. The letter, splashed across Thai newspapers' front pages this week, has been denounced as self-serving, sycophantic and "shameful."

Critics say it's Thaksin's attempt to spin the political crisis so he emerges as a victim, and accuse him of unsolicited kowtowing to Washington.

"Uncle Sam, I'm being bullied," read The Nation newspaper's banner headline Thursday, above an article calling Thaksin a "crybaby" for talking to outsiders about the crisis that has followed massive anti-Thaksin protests months ago, leaving the government in political limbo.

In a commentary headlined, "Dear George letters are shameful," the English-language Nation said "Thaksin's pleas to U.S. leader have ridiculed Thai democracy."

Thaksin's letter said "there has been a threat to democracy in Thailand since early this year." "Having failed to provoke violence and disorder, my opponents are now attempting various extra-constitutional tactics to co-opt the will of the people," it said. The letter outraged Thaksin's opponents, who said they would deliver their own accounts of the situation to the embassies of the U.S., Britain, China, France, Japan and Russia on Friday.

Thaksin has penned missives to leaders around Europe and Asia, trying to explain Thailand's political crisis since it began in January.

He met with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, French President Jacques Chirac and Russian leader Vladimir Putin during unofficial trips in April.

But it was the June 23 letter to the U.S. president that hit a nerve.

"Thailand is not a colony of the United States," said former Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai, who stepped down in 2001 after Thaksin defeated his opposition Democrat Party.

The crisis started in Bangkok with tens of thousands of street protesters - mostly educated, middle- and upper-class Thais - demanding Thaksin's resignation.

Critics focused on the tycoon-turned-politician's financial deals made while in office, and accused him of corrupt practices that weakened democratic institutions.

The protests prompted Thaksin, still popular among rural voters, to dissolve Parliament in February and call snap April 2 elections.

But the courts invalidated those polls, which the opposition had boycotted. A new vote has been tentatively set for Oct. 15.Meanwhile, Thailand has no working legislature and Thaksin is an interim leader - despite an earlier pledge to step aside.

Thaksin says he doesn't understand the uproar of the letter. "Leaders writing letters to each other is a normal practice," he said. "Why is everyone so excited?" U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Kathleen Boyle said the two leaders "correspond on occasion."

Bush responded to Thaksin in a two-paragraph letter dated July 3.

"The United States has watched events in your country with some concern," it said. "As an ally and a friend it is my sincere hope that all parties can find a way forward that respects the great achievements of Thai democracy and sees a fully vested government up and running in Bangkok as soon as possible.