The Department of Special Investigation (DSI), the Office of Attorney-General, and the Foreign Ministry will work together in approaching Interpol to issue a red alert for ousted former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who is now wanted on terrorism charges in Thailand, the Bangkok Post's website reported Thursday.

The Thai government would like the countries, which provide Thaksin with refuge, to extradite him back to Thailand to face charges, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban was quoted by the report as saying.

If Thaksin believes he is innocent, he should return to fight the charges, the Thai deputy premier in charge of security affairs said.

Suthep said he was not bothered that Thaksin's lawyer filed an appeal with the Criminal Court for the revocation of the arrest warrant as this was a normal legal response.

He made the remarks after Thaksin said in an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that Interpol would not act on the warrant because it is politically motivated.

On Tuesday, Thailand's Criminal Court approved arrest warrants against several anti-government major leaders, including Thaksin, on terrorism charges, due to accused involvement in the recent violent movement by the anti-government protestors, which culminated in huge losses of lives and damages.

Thaksin was ousted by the military coup in September 2006, in accusation of massive corruption, and kept in exile since then.

Thaksin returned to Thailand in February 2008 to face massive corruption charges, but he later fled into exile again and was convicted in absentia.

A series of violent clashes between the anti-government protestors and troops from March 12 to May 19 led to 88 deaths and some 1,885 injuries, Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said on Tuesday.

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