Keep A Cool Head, No Coup Repeat: Thai Army Chief

[webfact]

Keep a cool head, no coup repeat: Army chief

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha on Friday poured cold water over any attempts to lure the soldiers out of the barracks, saying he would not fall prey to staging a coup in the face of the push for charter change.

"The coup idea can not be reignited," he said.

Prayuth urged the opposing sides to try to resolve their differences via peaceful means and within the rule of law. The country should heed the lesson that the country would suffer the consequences upon the eruption of political violence, he said.

As the red and yellow shirts have been stepping up street protests, the Army chief urged all sides to exercise restraints and comply with the laws.

"Any differences should be resolved under the laws," he said.

In a veiled reference to the quarrels over charter change and reconciliation bills, he said he deemed it appropriate to inflame the situation by politicising the laws.

All three branches of power, government, legislature and judiciary, were working to overcome the political conflict, he said, calling for cool-headed rather than rash reaction.

"Thailand has passed through four phases of history lasting 700 to 800 years; if we do not uphold the law, then the country will revert back to the barbaric period dominated by 500 kinds of bandits," he said.

-- The Nation 2012-06-08

[JoeLing]

"Thailand has passed through four phases of history lasting 700 to 800 years; if we do not uphold the law, then the country will revert back to the barbaric period dominated by 500 kinds of bandits," he said.

Just wonder how many "kinds of bandits" rule the country now?

[bigbamboo]

And there you have it everyone.

The Army chief is saying that as long as politicians stay within the law ( and don't try to change the law for their own ends) there will be no coup.

And more importantly that is what most of the Thai people desperately want too.

[Yunla]

"Thailand has passed through four phases of history lasting 700 to 800 years; if we do not uphold the law, then the country will revert back to the barbaric period dominated by 500 kinds of bandits," he said.

Just wonder how many "kinds of bandits" rule the country now?

Since PTP arrived it is more like 500 kinds of bullsh**.

Edited June 8, 2012 by Yunla

[Thai at Heart]

I would prefer he said "No comment".

[OzMick]

Has there ever been a coup where warning was given in advance?

[Gillespie]

You know how Thai people genuinely believe it's better to tell you what you want to hear than anything bearing even the vaguest connection to reality? Yeah, that.

[feens]

Has there ever been a coup in Thailand where the generals did not say beforehand :There will be no coup"

[samt00067]

That only confirm that coup is coming.

Watch out for those tanks in this evening rush hours.

[JohnAllan]

General Prayuth said he deemed it appropriate to inflame the situation by politicising the laws. ???????

[sprq]

Well then, that makes it even more likely.

[how241]

And there you have it everyone.

The Army chief is saying that as long as politicians stay within the law ( and don't try to change the law for their own ends) there will be no coup.

And more importantly that is what most of the Thai people desperately want too.

Good news. Thailand doesn't need more problems.

[Thai at Heart]

http://www.nationmul...cs_30013304.php

POWER STRUGGLE

There will be no coup in Thailand says PM

http://en.wikipedia....i_Boonyaratglin

As late as May 2006, Sonthi publicly denied the need for a military coup: “

Whenever soldiers get involved in politics, it seems that the nation's problems begin to escalate and become worse. Military officers, accordingly, must step back from politics. With that firm and clear stance, I assure everyone that there definitely won't be a coup.^[16]

https://thaipolitica...d-says-no-coup/

In this Wikileaks cable, dated 5 September 2006, U.S. Ambassador Ralph L. Boyce and Privy Councilor and former Army commander General Surayud Chulanont huddle on politics. Surayud tries to convince Boyce that there will be no coup. The coup came just 2 weeks after this cable was produced.

I guess we will just have to take his word for it then.

Edited June 8, 2012 by Thai at Heart

[hellodolly]

That only confirm that coup is coming.

Watch out for those tanks in this evening rush hours.

Well he did leave the door open with this statement

"All three branches of power, government, legislature and judiciary, were working to overcome the political conflict, he said, calling for cool-headed rather than rash reaction."

One of those branches the government is working to fan the fires while the other two work to cool it down.

I guess it would depend on one's own interpretation of rash reaction. How munch in your face corruption before it becomes rash Reaction?

[intravox]

Thaksin kindly remodelled the armed forces when last in power - gently re-engineered to suit whatever circumstances might befall his planned 20+ year tenure in power (which of course came to an abrupt end).

He got the plan wrong, but since then, behind the scenes, Thaksin has made a number of secret moves which guarantee no general in power today will ever harm him. Thai generals have never been so wealthy and the potential sharing of the pot that lies ahead - Thaksin's sequestered 4.5 billion Baht - will keep them on his side for the duration. And help let him in again. If there is a 'coup' it will be engineered from Dubai to let Thaksin back in to 'save the day'!

[EarthAlien]

To predict the future look to the past.

In the past 80 years of Thai governement there have been 18 coups (or coups attempts) that's approximately 1 coup for every 4 and half years.

Following that pattern then we'd be right on cue for another one any time soon given that the last one was 5 and half or so years ago.

Something's gotta give with the current Mexican standoff in the attempt to whitewash rewrite the consitution with neither side seeming inclined to back down and therefore I would say that a coup may be inevitible.

[bangkokheat]

500 kinds of bandits, hmmmm, i never been goodly at subtraction, so does that mean we will only have 500 kinds of bandits if it all went pear shaped, does anyone know statistically how many kinds of bandits we have now?

[koolbreeze24]

Finally, a Thai leader who makes sense. I hope he means it. A coup will just set the country back further then it already is and hurt busines and tourism, which is still realing from the airport closings and demonstrations in the streets by both the yellow and red shirts. Please, alittle common sense and a drive towards TRUE democracy.

[Thai at Heart]

Finally, a Thai leader who makes sense. I hope he means it. A coup will just set the country back further then it already is and hurt busines and tourism, which is still realing from the airport closings and demonstrations in the streets by both the yellow and red shirts. Please, alittle common sense and a drive towards TRUE democracy.

Not much point in having a democracy, if the courts can't be seen to be utterly impartial.

[GeorgeO]

General Prayuth said he deemed it appropriate to inflame the situation by politicising the laws. ???????

Yes, that had me wondering too. I think the "in" prefix is missing from appropriate....

[piewarmer]

Didn't the Reds win the last election hands down?

Time for the yellows to start winning the voters they need for the next one...

Violence won't work in the long run. Handing out free stuff seems to work OK here.

[bigbamboo]

Has there ever been a coup in Thailand where the generals did not say beforehand :There will be no coup"

Well considering that two key elements of any army's tactics are decoys and surprise I'd bet you're probably right!

[Moruya]

Has there ever been a coup where warning was given in advance?

Has there ever been a coup that halfwit Jatuporn predicted?

//Deleted//

[Moruya]

Didn't the Reds win the last election hands down?

Time for the yellows to start winning the voters they need for the next one...

Violence won't work in the long run. Handing out free stuff seems to work OK here.

They got 265 types of bandit.

//Deleted//

[PeaceBlondie]

PT WAS 48

[jaapfries]

General Prayuth said he deemed it appropriate to inflame the situation by politicising the laws. ???????

JohnAllan: it is very clear that your eye-sight is better than most !

It's probably a simple case of typo' - but in the meantime; it does look rather odd !

555

Cheers

[Insight]

PT WAS 48

Good to see you posting. Welcome back.

[alanferdi]

I would prefer he said "No comment".

do you mean follow Yinglucks methods... Not at all he is army and knows his authority... Too much silence has lead to the present Govt situation

[alanferdi]

500 kinds of bandits, hmmmm, i never been goodly at subtraction, so does that mean we will only have 500 kinds of bandits if it all went pear shaped, does anyone know statistically how many kinds of bandits we have now?

Yeah by the looks of it the men in brown, who are supposed to keep law and order... Wasnt Mr T also part employed by the men in brown? Shameful day thugs!

[Arkady]

The coup rumour invented by Jatuporn (and the plot to kidnap Yingluck) was necessary because several factions of the red shirts are unhappy with Thaksin's attempts to cut a deal whereby he can come home a free man and get his wad back in exchange for dropping all potential legal action relating to the killing of red shirt protestors in 2010. Some of them even wanted to stop the laughingly named Reconciliation Bill in Parliament as badly as the yellows and Dems and thought a pitched battle with the yellows in front of Parliament would be the best way to accomplish them but the red leaders forced them to back off.

Reminds me of the plot to assassinate Thaksin that looked suspiciously as if he had arranged it himself.