BANGKOK June 04 2010
A Briton dubbed a ‘thug’ for his behavior during Thailand’s recent troubles was today dumped in court by his Thai anti-government allies.
Jeff Savage, 48, caught on tape saying he was going to loot and burn
down Bangkok’s biggest shopping mall, was today remanded in custody in
Bangkok, after Thailand’s opposition party said they had no interest in
him.
As he was led away he complained: ‘I’m going to Miss the World Cup.
I’m sharing a cell with murderers and rapists and no TV. I am a
political prisoner.’
At the court Siriporn Muangsrinun, a representative of the Puea Thai
Party, the party of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, said: ‘We
shall be supporting Australian Conor Purcell only.’
Conor Purcell, 29, an Irish born Australian, and Jeff Savage, from
Tonbridge, Kent, are both charged with being in breach of the country’s
‘State of Emergency’.
‘We’re caught in the middle of a class war. We’re just foot soldiers –
cannon fodder for the elite on both sides. We’re always the ones that
end up getting hurt too. This is a class war,’ complained Savage.
Asked why he thought he was not being helped by the Pheua Thai Party
he replied: ‘ I am just one of the troops. Connor has been mixing with
the leaders and giving speeches on stage.’
However a more likely reason is that the Pheua Thai party would find it difficult supporting Savage who was caught saying:
‘We are going to smash the Central Plaza to shit and steal everything out of it and burn the f*cker down!
‘Trust me. Get the f*cking pictures. We are going to loot everything,
gold watches, everything, and then we are going to burn the f*cker
down!’
Doubts have been raised over Savage’s stability and friends have said
he is on medication. But his father Roger Savage, 79, a former employee
of Kent County Council, declined to comment at Pathumwan court.
The red-shirt protesters, who brought Bangkok to a standstill for two
months, until the military opened fire and took over by force on May
19, were calling for an immediate election and protesting the divide
between Thailand’s elite and the poor of north eastern Thailand.
However the Thai government led by Eton and Oxford educated Prime
Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, say the red-shirts were paid by Thaksin
Shinawatra, who was ousted from office in a military coup.
Picture left: Charlotte Films:
