No quarrel with shepherd crying wolf : Army chief

By The Nation

Soldiers are entitled to cast vote in a free manner, Army chief General Prayuth Chanocha said Friday, dismissing the allegation the military personnel are under a standing order to vote for the Democrats.

"I don't want to quarrel with a shepherd crying wolf and please don't try to underestimate the soldiers intellect," he said in reference to Pheu Thai candidate Natthawut Saikua's verbal attack on the military.

Prayuth said politicians should not try to involve the military in their campaigning and that the military would not dictate how the soldiers should vote.

The military would allow conscripted soldiers to take part in the advance balloting as absentee voters because they could not return and vote in their hometown, he said.

The advance balloting was sanctioned by the Constitution and soldiers were obliged to vote just like the civilians, he said. The military had no partisan interest to rig the vote outcome one way or the other, he added.

He said politicians had no justification in politicising the military, arguing the armed forces could not do their job in the face of political meddling.

Parties concerned should look back at what happened in 2009 and 2010 before drawing a hasty conclusion about the military role, he said, insisting he had an answer about 91 people killed.

In a veiled reminder to the red shirts, he said the blooshed would not have happened if all sides upheld the rule of law and that instigators of the last year's riots should heed the lesson that the table might be turned against them because their opponents would descend on the streets if they could grab power.

"I repeat: don't try to involve the military in your quarrel," he said.

Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said the Defence Council, a supreme governing body of the armed forces, had a firm policy of nonpartisanship.

Prawit said politicians should not try to lure the military into their campaigning to sway votes.

"Political parties should focus on campaign platforms instead of smearing the military," he said.

The armed forces were a national institution which should not be drawn into the partisan struggle to grab power, he said.

-- The Nation 2011-06-03

Seems that Natthwut has taken over Jatuporn's job of making allegations with no proof whatsoever. From the other online source:

"Gen Prayuth was responding to an allegation by Pheu Thai party list candidate and UDD core member Natthawut Saikua, that the provincial military unit's commander had ordered his men to cast their votes in advance and that they must vote for candidates of the Democrat Party."

I don't see any "10's" in this photo.

National army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha

Seems that Natthwut has taken over Jatuporn's job of making allegations with no proof whatsoever. From the other online source:

"Gen Prayuth was responding to an allegation by Pheu Thai party list candidate and UDD core member Natthawut Saikua, that the provincial military unit's commander had ordered his men to cast their votes in advance and that they must vote for candidates of the Democrat Party."

I don't see any "10's" in this photo.

National army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha

Indeed, Natthawut has taken over as attack dog for Jatuporn.

In a week's time, he's attacked the Election Commission, the Deputy Prime Minister, and now the Army Chief... all with unproven and unsubstantiated wild claims.

It's no wonder he's ranked so high in the top 10 for Pheu Thai Party-list MP roster. That sort of crazed rhetorical divisiveness is richly reward by that organization.

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Edited June 3, 201115 yr by Buchholz

He said politicians had no justification in politicising the military

Due to the fact that the military are politicised enough already...

the RTA is over-estimatin Natthuwat's intelligence.

nattawud came out with a beauty last week asking the Democrats for a guarantee that they would let Peua Thai form the next government should they get the most seats. So much for his idea of 'democracy' - it's not up to the Democrats, even if they conceded defeat, as long as Puea Thai needs to form a coalition it will remain up to the other minor parties. If BJT and CTP both refuse to join the PTP (for reasons we all know well), then what?

In a week's time, he's attacked the Election Commission, the Deputy Prime Minister, and now the Army Chief... all with unproven and unsubstantiated wild claims.

I fully agree it's shocking he has criticised the EC, General Prayuth and Mr Suthep.I mean they have such excellent reputations and so universally respected.

In a week's time, he's attacked the Election Commission, the Deputy Prime Minister, and now the Army Chief... all with unproven and unsubstantiated wild claims.

I fully agree it's shocking he has criticised the EC, General Prayuth and Mr Suthep.I mean they have such excellent reputations and so universally respected.

i agree with that sentiment, these institutions and highly regarded persons are beyond criticism and should not be attacked by this red scoundrel...............

In a week's time, he's attacked the Election Commission, the Deputy Prime Minister, and now the Army Chief... all with unproven and unsubstantiated wild claims.

I fully agree it's shocking he has criticised the EC, General Prayuth and Mr Suthep.I mean they have such excellent reputations and so universally respected.

He's gone way beyond "criticism". In none of his attacks has he shown any proof to back them up.

But that's S.O.P. for Jatuporn and now Natthawut.

I see you're back now, btw, nice holiday?

"don't try to underestimate the soldiers intellect" This alone gives a fair indication of the Generals intelligence and his potential for getting thoughts/ideas across to others.

In a week's time, he's attacked the Election Commission, the Deputy Prime Minister, and now the Army Chief... all with unproven and unsubstantiated wild claims.

I fully agree it's shocking he has criticised the EC, General Prayuth and Mr Suthep.I mean they have such excellent reputations and so universally respected.

The EC, having been working for several years to try to reduce political-corruption, and punishing malefactors & bad-behaviour from several parties, are of course deserving of support by anyone interested in seeing democracy strengthened here. Which perhaps is why they sometimes attract criticism or demonstrations, outside their offices.

I'm not sure I'd agree with you about DPM-Suthep, though. I suspect you may have been posting tongue-in-cheek here, and would agree with you on that ! :jap: