Thai Military Coup: Rogue Officers Attempt Takeover

[Yonoz]

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=newsOne&storyID=2006-09-19T154508Z_01_BKK256153_RTRUKOC_0_US-THAILAND.xml&WTmodLoc=Home-C2-TopNews-newsOne-2"

Tanks surrounded Thailand's Government House on Tuesday and Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra declared a state of emergency in Bangkok amid signs of the first attempted coup in the southeast Asian nation in 15 years.

"I declare Bangkok under a severe state of emergency," Thaksin said in a voice broadcast on Thai television.

Thaksin, in New York at a United Nations summit, ordered troops not to "move illegally", and told armed forces chiefs to report to acting Prime Minister Chidchai Vanasatidya.

At least 20 soldiers entered the Government House building, according to reporters inside.

Army television broadcast images of the royal family and songs associated in the past with military coups.

Government officials said Thaksin, in the middle of a political crisis fomented by a street campaign against him, planned to return from New York early on Thursday, a day earlier than originally scheduled.

Even though Thailand's last military coup was 15 years ago, speculation about military intervention has been rife, with motorists calling traffic radio stations last week after tanks were spotted rolling down streets of the capital.

It seems the Chief of Staff is heading a group of rogue officers on a military coup.

 

[Yonoz]

http://cowboycaleb.liquidblade.com/.../19/state-of-emergency-declared-in-thailand/"

11:57pm - Chulangkorn Uni professor: Opposition parties have seized control of the tv and radio stations.
11:58pm - Realized I am drinking diet coke whilst I am living through a real-life coup. Discard diet coke and open the bottle of Bacardi instead.
12.09pm - The army now controls Bangkok and have entered the gov house.

 

[kyleb]

Anyone familiar with what the military's grievances are?

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Anyone familiar with what the military's grievances are?

maybe... Thaksin's corruption?

 

[kyleb]

I consdered that a lilkely guess, but not having paid much attention to Thailand's political climate over recent history I am hoping someone might be so kind as to recommend some reading or provide a summery of the roots of this conflict.

 

[desA]

I live in BKK & am studying my PhD here.

Everything is fine. A bloodless coup seems to have been staged by the Chief of the Army & soldiers loyal to His Majesty King of Thailand.

This was bound to happen at some point as Taksin's excessive corruption & greed had split Thai society into two. Thai society was on the verge of civil war. Something had to give. Bangkok folks were anti-Taksin for the last 9 months - this included almost all of the academic fraternity.

Useful links:
<www.bangkokpost,net>
<www.nationmultimedia.com>

It appears that internet connections are due to be closed in the next few hours, so you may not be able to reach the above links...

 

[kyleb]

Thank you for the links and I'm glad to hear things look to be going well there, bloodless coups are by far the best kind.

 

[desA]

As of this morning, things are looking a lot clearer, as the new team establishes their authority. Everything remains calm & orderly. Everyone expects things to begin to normalise fairly soon.

There seems to be a general tacit approval for this move from most levels of Thai society after many months of Taksin's excesses & blatant abuse of the democratic system. Taksin's wife has fled to Singapore, with many cabinet ministers traveling abroad at short notice. It appears that there will be a general round-up of pro-Taksin folks.

Thanks folks for your concerns.

 

[Yonoz]

I live in BKK & am studying my PhD here.

Everything is fine. A bloodless coup seems to have been staged by the Chief of the Army & soldiers loyal to His Majesty King of Thailand.

This was bound to happen at some point as Taksin's excessive corruption & greed had split Thai society into two. Thai society was on the verge of civil war. Something had to give. Bangkok folks were anti-Taksin for the last 9 months - this included almost all of the academic fraternity.

Useful links:
<www.bangkokpost,net>
<www.nationmultimedia.com>

It appears that internet connections are due to be closed in the next few hours, so you may not be able to reach the above links...

Is there any criticism of the military's involvement? Considering Thailand's history, do people recognise the danger in having the military depose a head of state, corrupt as he may be? Why did they not wait until the elections, reportedly meant to be held within the next 2 months?

I hope this ends quickly and for the best.

 

[desA]

Yonoz, this matter has been brewing for some 9 months. I would imagine that the Coup leadership did not do this in haste. General Sondhi has been the most patient military commander I've ever seen, given the continual meddling by Taksin in the military structures.

Taksin had been steadily replacing top commanders with his cronies & last evening it was actually a tight race as to which team would take control of the situation. In the end, it appears as if the 'peoples' choice has won the end-game.

To be honest, I really don't think that there would have been any other solution as Taksin had basically so corrupted all levels of democracy, courts, military, that he & his cronies were well on their way to installing their own dictatorship under Taksin's leadership. Folks had been trying to sort this thing out peacefully for the last 9 months, but Taksin continued to destroy any semblance of democracy. In the end, to avoid an all-out civil war, someone had to break the impasse.

A mass rally had been planned for today in an attempt to pressure Taksin to quit & it was predicted that blood was likely to flow. This latest move seems to have been just in time.

Thailand has democracy established with His Majesty the King as head of state. He has been able to guide Thailand through these crises some 19 times in the past, & folks trust in his integrity. I am sure that this coup will be short-lived & that Thailand will re-enter the democratic process in a short while, after a major re-write of the Constitution that Taksin so badly abused.

The coup leader, general Sondhi, was against a coup for many months, but, I would imagine that Thai society had been pressurising him & the top generals to take action. So it is. We'll wait & see how it all pans out...

 

[Yonoz]

Thankyou. I understand His Majesty and the Thai public completely support the coup leaders. This does seem to have been planned and carried out meticulously.
Tell me, how was the deposed PM elected? Did he become corrupt recently, did he gain power illegally? How was he able to become so powerful?

 

[desA]

Yonoz, to place things in perspective, His Majesty remains above politics, & this is where Thailand's stability really lies. He had no part whatsoever in this coup, other than as symbolic figurehead of the Kingdom of Thailand. The coup leaders sought counsel with him around midnight BKK time, & informed him of the situation & their plans forward. He is revered by Thai folks as the father of the nation who has always been able to save the country in times of crisis.

Taksin had basically used corrupt means to gain popularity through his populist schemes (read - money handouts & vote-buying). He had basically 'purchased' the country & seemed to be heading to set himself & his cronies in a dictatoral structure, which is certainly not democracy as we know it.

Once in power, he had systematically destroyed all the check-&-balance mechanisms through corruption & power-purchase - the police, army, navy, courts - all were paid by him. He brought in the best legal minds to work out ways to circument the 1997 constitution. In the end, the system was running outside of the normal bounds of any democracy as we know it. Thailand was on the brink of a civil war.

I imagine that the leadership were left with no option, in the end - either complete corruption under Taksin, or a brief military restoration of normality, in preparation for a repair of the constitution & new democratic elections. One gets the distinct impression that the coup leaders did not want to do this, but had had their hand forced by Taksin.

There is a lot more behind this story, in terms of Taksin's approach, and future plans - but perhaps not for an open forum. Taksin had been systematically taking his ill-gotten wealth out of Thailand & around 2 weeks ago hired a large Russian cargo plane to take many of his belongings to his luxury home in London. The general feeling is one of relief & an expectation that true democracy can now be restored.

 

[Yonoz]

Thanks. Interesting stuff.