SECURITY AFFAIRS

Kowit to play a critical role in security issues

By Avudh Panananda

The Nation

The Yingluck Shinawatra government is counting on the professional integrity of retired national police chief Kowit Watana to take the helm of national security affairs.

Although Kowit is deputy prime minister in charge of national security, he is not expected to become a security czar, but will be part of a cluster comprising the Defence, Interior, Police and Foreign Affairs portfolios.

Members of the security cluster will report directly to Prime Minister Yingluck, but Kowit is expected to receive the mandate to ensure that security agencies work in sync with one another.

His supervisory duties will likely involve the National Security Council, the National Intelligence Agency, the Internal Security Operations Command and the Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre.

As there is no imminent external threat facing the country, his priorities will include drug suppression and fine-tuning security agencies.

Defence Minister Yuthasak Sasiprapha is entrusted to ensure smooth relations between the government and the military. His first tough assignment will be to complete the list for the annual military reshuffle within this month.

Yuthasak is expected to supervise negotiations for a military framework on the pending troop withdrawal from the vicinity of Preah Vihear Temple. He will work through the Borders Affairs Department of the Armed Forces Headquarters.

The future direction in resolving the Thai-Cambodian border dispute will hinge on how well Yuthasak can work with his Cambodian counterpart Tea Banh. He needs no time to warm up to his job because he already has an extensive background in Cambodian affairs.

Interior Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit is a veteran official on local government and his appointment is seen as a home-coming.

Yongyuth's two top priorities are the budgetary allocations for local governments and the new line-up of key ministerial officials. Pheu Thai's control of the Interior Ministry, which impacts on every facet of people's lives, is seen as the key to ensuring the government's popularity.

Foreign Minister Surapong Towijakchaikul is seen as the weakest link in the security line-up.

Aside from being a distant relative of the Shinawatra family and a staunch supporter of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, political observers are at a loss to understand as to why he got the job. He has absolutely no prior experience in diplomacy.

His appointment has led to speculation that Government House will be the real centre for foreign relations and the minister will be delegated mostly to the role of messenger.

Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung will oversee police work. But his real duties are to work as a lightning rod to divert attention from the government's flaws and a guard dog to keep the opposition Democrats at bay.

-- The Nation 2011-08-10

"His appointment has led to speculation that Government House will be the real centre for foreign relations and the minister will be delegated mostly to the role of messenger."

Government House or Dubai?