Newin: April 8 March goes beyond toppling Abhisit

Nobody can demolish Thaksin Shinawatra more effectively than Newin Chidchob, his ex-right-hand man. That's because nobody knows Thaksin better when it comes to political manipulation.

That's why when Newin decided to go public with "everything I know about Thaksin" this afternoon, it was more than just a bombshell.

Newin says tomorrow's planned demonstration goes beyond toppling the Abhisit government, of which Newin is now a part. "I suspect that the red shirts want more than just getting rid of this government. They have been talking about creating a new Thai state. What's wrong with the current Thai state under parliamentary system with a monarch?" he asked.

Newin was fighting back tears at intervals during the press conference. It was clear that he wanted to tell the whole world that he had not stabbed Thaksin in the back by joining Abhisit Vejjajiva to form the current government.

The real betrayal, he said, had come in the form of Thaksin's deciding at the last minute to back out from supporting Samak Sundaravej to return to the premiership.

Newin said: "At first, Thaksin called me to say that we must vote for Samak to return as premier after the court verdict. He used the word 'at all cost' but then he backed out and dumped Samak...It was then that I knew that it could happen to me too..."

By deciding to "tell all," Newin has burned his bridges with Thaksin too. It's probably this veteran politician's decision to put the brakes on tomorrow's red-shirted march that brought about today's sensational revelation.