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Man City supports Thaksin amid human rights abuse claims

01/08/2007

Manchester City football club is standing by its new owner, Thaksin Shinawatra, after allegations were made against him regarding human rights abuses.

Thaksin, who took over the club in a £81.6 million deal last month, has been accused by Human Rights Watch of presiding over extrajudicial killings during Thailand's so-called war on drugs.

But a representative for the club said the human rights group's actions were "opportunistic" because the allegations emerged after Thaksin was ousted in a bloodless military coup last September.

"There is no new evidence against Mr Shinawatra," said spokesman Paul Tyrrell. "It seems to have been overlooked that Mr Shinawatra was ousted by a coup d'etat, having twice been elected prime minister of Thailand."

He said that the club has "total confidence" that any investigation into the matter will flounder.

Human Rights Watch believes that Thaksin should not have passed the Premier League's 'fit and proper person' test and has written to the league to express its concerns.

But the Premier League has defended its test and said its rules on club ownership "go above and beyond any requirement by company law and are some of the sternest in any UK industry".

Thaksin is presently being investigated by corruption officials in his home country and he recently had more than £1 billion of his assets frozen.



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