Ties With Generals Improving: Thai Defence Minister Sukampol

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Ties with generals improving: Sukampol

The Nation

Defence Minister Sukampol Suwannathat talks to Nation Group last week.

Defence minister says military is not one of government's major worries

BANGKOK: -- Defence Minister Sukampol Suwannathat does not like having to deny speculation about a possible coup every second day. But when talking about his relationship with the military top brass nowadays, he sounds eager and positive.

"People who started off on the wrong foot against each other can be good pals if they manage to come to terms with each other," he told Nation Group in an exclusive interview. That, coupled with his emphatic denial that the military poses a threat to the Yingluck government, confirmed what many analysts believe: The ruling camp's anxiety has shifted from the military barracks to some place else.

According to Sukampol, the Yingluck Cabinet has been making one political retreat after another not because it was worried about the men in uniform. The military was a considerable cause for concern when Sukampol replaced Yuthasak Sasiprapha in the last Cabinet reshuffle five months ago, but the situation has changed somewhat.

It's debatable if Sukampol played a big role in breaking the ice - but the potentially explosive issue of proposed legal changes to increase the government's leverage over military affairs has dropped off the administration's priority list. The defence minister said that as long as the current system allowed key questions to be settled in the defence council, there should be no need to stir up the hornet's nest.

"I like to talk straight. And when you talk straight, you don't have to engage in a long conversation," he said, suggesting that sometimes sincerity is better demonstrated through brief, yet no-nonsense dialogue.

He is not worried about the current set-up in the defence council, believing that the government has strong leverage in the governing body. And with key political games panning out mainly in Parliament, the military has become a lesser subject of government concern.

Sukampol's routine role used to be lashing out at reporters asking him about coup speculation, which he often claimed originated in coffee shops. But he has since found himself having to explain why the government chose to back away from the Nasa weather study project, although the Thai armed forces did not seem to oppose it.

The defence minister suggested the government backed off on the Nasa scheme and other plans for the same reason: A judicial accident can still happen if the ruling party is not careful.

Sukampol implied that the government did not do the Nasa about-turn not because it did not want to risk debating the pros and cons in Parliament, but because "independent bodies" could step in and change the political equilibrium in the blink of an eye. Simply put, when it comes to issues that risk invoking a party dissolution procedure, the ruling camp would rather play it safe.

Apart from the controversial Nasa weather study project, the Yingluck government has halted its push to pass the "reconciliation bills" that involve the contentious issue of political amnesty. There have also been signals that if the Constitution Court declares the charter amendment plan unconstitutional, the government may also end its campaign for a constitutional revamp.

"I don't think the military can stage another coup," he said. "None of the proclaimed objectives of the 2006 coup was achieved. That is the reason why I firmly believe a coup will not happen."

Another reason, analysts believe, is the way the Yingluck government has become "accommodating" toward the needs of the military. Government leaders, as well as Thaksin Shinawatra, have been seen as trying to distance themselves from hardcore red shirts who harbour controversial political ideologies. There are also rumours about high-level contacts to mend fences between the ruling party and the armed forces.

A few weeks ago, Sukampol's name was among those speculated as likely to be targeted in a Cabinet reshuffle. His is a job with a strange KPI (key performance indicator), though. It is based purely on how the damaged fences between the ruling party and the armed forces are mended. That means things remain fragile and can change quickly, but the defence minister certainly must have reason to be positive.

-- The Nation 2012-07-09

[Moruya]

I don't see any distancing of the PTP party and the red shirt leaders. Jen should have at least been expelled from the government having given the phone numbers of the CC judges to the red mob.

[Pib]

When it comes to civilian control over the military, Thailand is still a banana republic.

[Thaddeus]

It's called diplomacy.

And as we all know, diplomacy is being able to say 'good doggy' while reaching for a rock.

[Colabamumbai]

The military has always been in charge of Thailand and I cannot see that changing. I have been coming here since 1975, and presently live here, nothing changes, just the names of the leaders.

I should not say nothing changes......at least now we have a voice with Thai Visa Forum.

[h90]

The military has always been in charge of Thailand and I cannot see that changing. I have been coming here since 1975, and presently live here, nothing changes, just the names of the leaders.

I should not say nothing changes......at least now we have a voice with Thai Visa Forum.

And when you look at the politicians it is actually good that the military is in charge.....

[mca]

You know you're living in some sort of bloody Enid Blyton Faraway Tree La La Land when the bloody defense minister reports that the relationship with the bloody army is improving <deleted>

. All we need is another daft old PAD loon to lock himself in his Toyota pick up, downstairs khazi or bleeding wardrobe to avoid arrest and I'll be convinced I'm in a medically-induced coma in some hospital bed dreaming it all.

[h90]

You know you're living in some sort of bloody Enid Blyton Faraway Tree La La Land when the bloody defense minister reports that the relationship with the bloody army is improving <deleted>

. All we need is another daft old PAD loon to lock himself in his Toyota pick up, downstairs khazi or bleeding wardrobe to avoid arrest and I'll be convinced I'm in a medically-induced coma in some hospital bed dreaming it all.

Also the only land, where the soldiers at the military coup are greeted with flowers and food as the rescued the country from the evil democracy

Or where the old communists meet and decide to protect the constitution court, because they want the king

Or there should be a country where the population doesn't find anything if they hear within 1 week:

1) There are floods

2) The PM tells this year there won't be any floods

3) The PM urges to complete the flood dams before the flood saison comes.

In any other country the population would roll on the floor and laughing.....here it seems complete normal

miracle thailand....

[hellodolly]

When it comes to civilian control over the military, Thailand is still a banana republic.

They are the only thing that kept it from becoming a dictatorship.

[nurofiend]

When it comes to civilian control over the military, Thailand is still a banana republic.

They are the only thing that kept it from becoming a dictatorship.

and your evidence of that is what?

[mca]

When it comes to civilian control over the military, Thailand is still a banana republic.

They are the only thing that kept it from becoming a dictatorship.

I guess folks like Thanom Kittikachorn didn't read that memo.....

[hellodolly]

When it comes to civilian control over the military, Thailand is still a banana republic.

They are the only thing that kept it from becoming a dictatorship.

and your evidence of that is what?

Look out the window.

[Moruya]

When it comes to civilian control over the military, Thailand is still a banana republic.

They are the only thing that kept it from becoming a dictatorship.

and your evidence of that is what?

The status quo.

[nurofiend]

When it comes to civilian control over the military, Thailand is still a banana republic.

They are the only thing that kept it from becoming a dictatorship.

and your evidence of that is what?

Look out the window.

nice cop out, have you any detailed description of how it was becoming a 'dictatorship'?

wasn't there a general election about to come up in which the public would have their say, just before the military 'kept it from becoming a dictatorship'?

[h90]

nice cop out, have you any detailed description of how it was becoming a 'dictatorship'?

wasn't there a general election about to come up in which the public would have their say, just before the military 'kept it from becoming a dictatorship'?

NO!

The coup was AFTER the general election in which only TRT could be voted for. Single party system. Thaksin wasn't premier anymore because the caretaker time was expired. Than he opened the parliament with less than enough MPs (because you can vote "NO" in Thai elections and the areas MP must reach 20 %).

He just didn't care the constitution and hold on to the power.

So he was a dictator. The right way in Thailand would have been to inform the King about the problems. Similar laws are in other countries where you go to the president instead of the king who can build a government which takes prepares new elections.

At the same time the PAD had large demonstrations and there were rumors that Thaksin send paramilitary troops to shoot at them (border police).

So the coup was the only solution to fix the problem.

(Courts were basically disabled by Thaksin)

[metisdead]

Some nonsense posts and replies have been removed.

[whybother]

nice cop out, have you any detailed description of how it was becoming a 'dictatorship'?

wasn't there a general election about to come up in which the public would have their say, just before the military 'kept it from becoming a dictatorship'?

NO!

The coup was AFTER the general election in which only TRT could be voted for. Single party system. Thaksin wasn't premier anymore because the caretaker time was expired. Than he opened the parliament with less than enough MPs (because you can vote "NO" in Thai elections and the areas MP must reach 20 %).

He just didn't care the constitution and hold on to the power.

So he was a dictator. The right way in Thailand would have been to inform the King about the problems. Similar laws are in other countries where you go to the president instead of the king who can build a government which takes prepares new elections.

At the same time the PAD had large demonstrations and there were rumors that Thaksin send paramilitary troops to shoot at them (border police).

So the coup was the only solution to fix the problem.

(Courts were basically disabled by Thaksin)

There were other parties to vote for (ones not organised by TRT).

I don't think he ever actually opened parliament either.

Sent from my shoe phone

[nurofiend]

nice cop out, have you any detailed description of how it was becoming a 'dictatorship'?

wasn't there a general election about to come up in which the public would have their say, just before the military 'kept it from becoming a dictatorship'?

NO!

The coup was AFTER the general election in which only TRT could be voted for.

NO!

There was a general election coming up but the military moved in before it could be held, evidently you weren't aware of this, otherwise you wouldn't have failed to understand what i said.

[OzMick]

nice cop out, have you any detailed description of how it was becoming a 'dictatorship'?

wasn't there a general election about to come up in which the public would have their say, just before the military 'kept it from becoming a dictatorship'?

NO!

The coup was AFTER the general election in which only TRT could be voted for.

NO!

There was a general election coming up but the military moved in before it could be held, evidently you weren't aware of this, otherwise you wouldn't have failed to understand what i said.

An election was coming up, with a date set that was unachievable, expected to be deferred but no indication of how long. Meanwhile, a corrupt leader with no claim to the title claims to be PM. ALL coups occur between elections.

[nurofiend]

An election was coming up, with a date set that was unachievable, expected to be deferred but no indication of how long. Meanwhile, a corrupt leader with no claim to the title claims to be PM. ALL coups occur between elections.

i clearly recall a conversation with you long ago and you didn't even know there were elections set to happen at all.

anyway, there was an indication of how long it was to be deferred, an extra month or so was the indication.

ALL coups occur between elections.

not sure if true, but i definitely know they don't ALL occur a month before elections had been scheduled for!

but yeah, they wanted to get rid of that nasty dictatorship that was waiting to be validated yet again by the public in a general election... cos that's what dictators do isn't it, they rely on democratic public vote.

Edited July 11, 2012 by nurofiend

[Thaddeus]

cos that's what dictators do isn't it, they rely on democratic public vote.

Not here, they buy it.