Thailand's Armed Forces call for national unity before it is too late

[jaapfries]

Suggestion to all posters,

For heavens sake, as well as your own, read your so very important post over a time or two before being in such a rush to push the send button.

Others may consider what you are saying much more if they can read and understand your writing. If it looks like gibberish and that you didn't even have the time to proof read, it will probably be considered the post of a moron. ..... and rightly so.

In a country which is purported to be a "Democracy", where the Military has, in fact, the last (and deciding) voice, is a country in deep trouble ! ! !

[hgma]

The militairy gets dragged in a Bangkok Gossip episode on to many occasions.

The man is right, Thai must unite and will when 'The man behind the scenes' retreats!

Untill then politics will stay ugly and the militairy 'ready for whatever'

[gemini81]

C'mon army, get on with it then! The tension'll keep mounting and Pheua thai will put the country further down the tubes until the army inevitably have to shut down Pheua Thai- better now than later, before things turn violent, and finally put an end to all this Shinawatra nepotism and graft once and for all.

[Robby nz]

Regardless of what the headline says this is not the army talking it is Yinglucks Ministry of Defenses spokesman and no doubt approved by the minister of defense.

That those making the statement are dressed in uniform is in all probability to make it look like it is an army threat.

PT gets more desperate every day.

Maj-Gen Surachart Jitjaeng, spokesman of the Defense Ministry’s Public Relations and Information Office

[TomTao]

Yingluk may have appointed herself as minister for defence, but the question is, does she control the military? Or is she merely tolerated by the military? This announcement by the Defence Ministry spokesman may be a message from the Minister for Defence, or it could be a warning from the military brass to both sides of the politcal divide. IF the military moves, we will find out which it is. Either the begining of a military backed Shinawattra dictatorship, or the military bringing stability before the country implodes.

[eddie61]

Uh oh....maybe PTP haven't kept them sweet enough.

uh.oh more submarines, fighter aircraft and tanks to buy, and more generals to promote

[Emptyset]

Noone in their right minds wants the armed forces to deal with this mess, including the armed forces.

My girlfriend, from Chiang Rai and a Red Shirt-sympathiser who left Bon Kai 30 minutes before the trouble kicked off on 10 April 2010, just said "good" when I told her the army just made this statement. She says that Surayudh was a good Prime Minister, even if she acknowledges he was an incompetent one (!).

You mean she's a former red sympathiser, PS? Can't imagine too many other red sympathisers share her opinion on Surayudh, lol...

One thing's for sure, we'll know Thailand is moving forward when Thais stop giving the military and their political pronouncements time of day. I mean what does the British army chief think about what Cameron is up to? I've no idea and if he did come out and make any sort of political statement, I don't think people would be too happy. In fact I don't even know who the British army chief is, and that's the way it should be.

[Emptyset]

Yingluk may have appointed herself as minister for defence, but the question is, does she control the military? Or is she merely tolerated by the military? This announcement by the Defence Ministry spokesman may be a message from the Minister for Defence, or it could be a warning from the military brass to both sides of the politcal divide. IF the military moves, we will find out which it is. Either the begining of a military backed Shinawattra dictatorship, or the military bringing stability before the country implodes.

She definitely doesn't control the military.

[khunken]

I'm not surprised at this thinly veiled warning.

First it's amnesty & now it's anarchy (or a threat of it) and with Suthep on the streets doing his (faltering) thing it's not looking pretty in Thailand's pseudo democracy.

I hope cool heads will prevail and overcome the hotheads, especially the one mentioned above and the even worse caddy.

[Thai at Heart]

Armed Forces now calls for national unity before it is too late

IMHO This sentence sums up ALL that is wrong with Thailand!

How can you call for "national unity"? People have different opinions and ideas. Even if they were not bought and sold, as they are in Thailand...how can anyone say "be unified...or be punished"!

...and the Army, most of all!

<deleted>?

Everything in this country is always resolved by neglect or by violence!

Democracy, freedom of ideas, expression?

Anyone?

It seems that sad and troubled times may be ahead!

Well, maybe "National Unity" is a bit much, but they do talk about putting the country first.

It would maybe be better if they just came out and said "If anyone changes the law to get Thaksin back into the country, we are having a coup". That would end all discussion of the matter, and everyone could just get on and run the country. The reason it always ends in violence is because the political class has never actually listened to the people.

When there was communism up country, what did they do? Send in the army and kill lots of people. Bangkok didn't really listen, they just shot people. Did they really go all out to make sure the poor people got a bit more of the money's from agriculture? Nope. They just let the middle men and the few Thai exporters cream it off and make themselves billions. So they have NEVER listened, so the only real way to get someone to listen is to slap them around a bit and make them stand to attention.

Thaksin now isn't really listening. He is just throwing them a bone to get their vote. He isn't really solving the problem. Of couse to solve the problem, you have to admit that maybe what you see today, shouldn't be the natural order of things. That a Thai Chinese bazzilionaire sitting in Bangkok whilst he suppliers starve in Isaan isn't maybe the best way forward for the country?

So to a degree the army is right. Start acting for the country and not just yourselves. Which is great coming from an organisation where blokes on salaries of 40k per month can fund their children going overseas to university and brand new Mercedes for the wife.

[h90]

Is that a warning?

I would think so by him saying "before it gets out of control and it's too late".

Warning sure, but not a warning of a coup, at least not direct (yet)

[dru2]

Pattiwat is one it's way 100% - democracy at the end of a gun Thai style - it's the Army that controls Thailand all has been and I fear always will. The problem will come when the poor conscripts stop taking orders..,,

When the poor conscripts stop taking orders... How long have you been in Thailand?

[Dasekel]

Is that a warning?

Or rather a promise?

[h90]

Noone in their right minds wants the armed forces to deal with this mess, including the armed forces.

My girlfriend, from Chiang Rai and a Red Shirt-sympathiser who left Bon Kai 30 minutes before the trouble kicked off on 10 April 2010, just said "good" when I told her the army just made this statement. She says that Surayudh was a good Prime Minister, even if she acknowledges he was an incompetent one (!).

Yes the government is that way, that a military dictator starts to look like a good or at least comparable choice.

(Btw.: I don't think he was incompetent, I think he was too careful, didn't want to change things too much. He didn't make mistakes, because he didn't do much).

[Alwyn]

I smell a coup.....

Sent from my GT-I9200 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

How many times have we read that over the past few years?

How many has it been though? I think it's 7 or coups or attempted coups since 1976?

[Globeman]

2006 again...

The army did make plenty of warnings before they jumped in...

It was the Government of the time that put itself above the law and courts.

Followed by a military that put itself above the law and courts, and wrote a constitution that has rules within it that say you basically can't change it... "It is self-evident that what we say is right is right because we say so."

Not that I have any sympathy for the PTP in all this, but the issue is hardly black and white.

[awayego]

From an earlier post today:

Basically, what Pheu Thai are saying is, because they are the elected government, they can change the law as they like, regardless if it is against the constitution.

Therefore, they could change the law that says that the King is head of state. They can do that because they are the elected government.

Actually a very valid point. Doesn't this itself point towards how dangerous and ill-considered Phue Thai's stance is? This might also be the interpretation of the Army in which case . . . . . . ?

Is this the beginning of the end perhaps?

[mogo51]

This is just history repeating itself. The suggestion that Thailand is a democracy is farcical. It is only democratic if it is what the parties want themselves. The suggestion that democracy is truly active in Thailand is a total falsehood.

The military should not intervene, but it will for the reasons enunciated elsewhere in this forum, it is yellow shirt orientated instead of being A neutral.

If the country finally came to grips with corruption and marginal factional interests, then there may be some hope for the future.

[Lupatria]

Between the lines I read: yesterday we stood still at the edge of an abyss. However, tomorrow we are already one step further.

[Thai at Heart]

The only way this country will ever find peace and stability is , IF Thaksin stops this power trip and greed and gives up his political games and retires with his amassed fortune !!,

If Thaksin really loved this country and the people , he would've left a long time ago to let real democracy and the true will of Thai people to decide where this Counrty goes !!!!

Evolution does not favour greed .... this country can never evolve until greed and corruption is stamped out

You are so wrong if you think that these issues die entirely on the removal of Thaksin from the situation. The farmers have been getting screwed for generations. They are going to be in real trouble soon, and no, the old method of leaving a few Thai Chinese exporters to supposedly act as honest brokers in the export business DOES NOT WORK.

Someone needs to come up with a managed way to insure a more equitable split of profit between farmers and commercial enterprise in Thailand.

[Mudcrab]

C'mon army, get on with it then! The tension'll keep mounting and Pheua thai will put the country further down the tubes until the army inevitably have to shut down Pheua Thai- better now than later, before things turn violent, and finally put an end to all this Shinawatra nepotism and graft once and for all.

That's assuming the Army will back the "good guys". What if they back the red shirts? Impossible?? Who knows what deals have been done?

[SICHONSTEVE]

Is that a warning?

I would think so by him saying "before it gets out of control and it's too late".

We need you out on the streets.... now!!

That's the way to fix it.

[icare999]

Noone in their right minds wants the armed forces to deal with this mess, including the armed forces.

My girlfriend, from Chiang Rai and a Red Shirt-sympathiser who left Bon Kai 30 minutes before the trouble kicked off on 10 April 2010, just said "good" when I told her the army just made this statement. She says that Surayudh was a good Prime Minister, even if she acknowledges he was an incompetent one (!).

You mean she's a former red sympathiser, PS? Can't imagine too many other red sympathisers share her opinion on Surayudh, lol...

One thing's for sure, we'll know Thailand is moving forward when Thais stop giving the military and their political pronouncements time of day. I mean what does the British army chief think about what Cameron is up to? I've no idea and if he did come out and make any sort of political statement, I don't think people would be too happy. In fact I don't even know who the British army chief is, and that's the way it should be.

uk is not controlled by a megalomaniac bent on turning Thailand into his own serfdom who has bought off any real checks and balances and proved to have no respect for law order democracy and rest. If the army had put Hitler out think how much misery would have been averted. Politicians in UK and PM of UK have many checks and balances which make it impossible for them to dictate totally and further they respect the law and judgements as well as having a second properly independent chamber. You simply cannot compare her with UK and up now only thing that has stopped anyone like Taksin taking over this country totally as a dictator is the army. I pray they take over and this time put an end permanently to Taksin his clan and red thugs. Hopefully they have not also been bought by Taksin and if they have god help Thailand.

Taksin and his clan have to be stopped before its to late by any means possible same as any other dictator could have been stopped early on before they took complete power. Most were elected including Hitler, Mugabwie, Pol pot, Idi Amin and rest so don't give me this they were elected crap. And yes Taksin is potentially as dangerous to Thailand as Mugabwie has been to Zimbabwe. Unlike Hitler and rest he could only totally destroy Thailand or turn it into an inpoverished police state like North Korea but while he is around he is quite capable of totally for his own ends detracting a nation.

Most forang have an exit and while it might seriously affect them financially most have enough to leave with their wives and children if need be which is a luxury few Thais have should worst occur. I am less pessimistic than before since Taksin seems to halted one way or another up to now but it is only same as stopping a snake biking you while you hold a long stick to keep it away. At any time while the snake is alive or close it is likely to get you. I can live under a military government or benign dictator but can't see Taksin as being other than a Mugabwie mark 2 at best.

[Benmart]

I fear they are showing their true intentions.

[lemonjelly]

Suggestion to all posters,

For heavens sake, as well as your own, read your so very important post over a time or two before being in such a rush to push the send button.

Others may consider what you are saying much more if they can read and understand your writing. If it looks like gibberish and that you didn't even have the time to proof read, it will probably be considered the post of a moron. ..... and rightly so.

I love gibberish...... try reading 'The Hunting Of The Snark'

[Thaddeus]

C'mon army, get on with it then! The tension'll keep mounting and Pheua thai will put the country further down the tubes until the army inevitably have to shut down Pheua Thai- better now than later, before things turn violent, and finally put an end to all this Shinawatra nepotism and graft once and for all.

That's assuming the Army will back the "good guys". What if they back the red shirts? Impossible?? Who knows what deals have been done?

Quite right.

The statement in the OP comes from Maj-Gen Surachart Jitjaeng, spokesman of the Defense Ministry’s Public Relations and Information Office.

Earlier today,,,,,,,,,,,,

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/683339-thailand-live-friday-22-nov-2013/page-2#entry7068295

To assume this is a message for PTP to back off could be very very wrong.

Edited November 22, 2013 by Thaddeus

[h90]

2006 again...

The army did make plenty of warnings before they jumped in...

It was the Government of the time that put itself above the law and courts.

Followed by a military that put itself above the law and courts, and wrote a constitution that has rules within it that say you basically can't change it... "It is self-evident that what we say is right is right because we say so."

Not that I have any sympathy for the PTP in all this, but the issue is hardly black and white.

And I am glad that the military is doing it.

[Thai at Heart]

From an earlier post today:

Basically, what Pheu Thai are saying is, because they are the elected government, they can change the law as they like, regardless if it is against the constitution.

Therefore, they could change the law that says that the King is head of state. They can do that because they are the elected government.

Actually a very valid point. Doesn't this itself point towards how dangerous and ill-considered Phue Thai's stance is? This might also be the interpretation of the Army in which case . . . . . . ?

Is this the beginning of the end perhaps?

The problem is, that every time someone runs around screaming that PTP are going to do such a thing, there is absolutely NO EVIDENCE that they intend to. it is a pathetic ruse to accuse PTP of something. If they can find a way to reform the senate legally then do it, by referendum or whatever. The chances that they would intend to go as far as what you write up top are virtually zero.

[siampolee]

This could well be interpenetrated as a jerk on the choke chain to all those dogs of war who are defying the courts decision undermining the judiciary and as a result challenging to a high degree the ultimate power broker in Thailand along with what what passes for democracy here in Thailand.

The challenge to the judicial system is going to result in putting a lot of pressure on the ultimate decision maker here in Thailand .

Such an action is not being viewed in a positive light by the military whose allegiance is not sworn to the government of the day whatever its poetical hue may be.

to say that '' the writing is on the wall'' is somewhat dramatic however perhaps the comments could best be described as a'' polite verbal warning'' as in an employment situation.

The long and the short of the matter is that it is one creatures crusade for revenge and ultimate power no matter what the cost may be in body counts or blood split and the financial damage that would be wrought on Thailand and its peoples

Remove that creature from the scene and we would see an improvement, let us hope that exorcism is a painless non military exorcism.

[Gsxrnz]

Too late for what???

Can you imagine if a military officer said something like that in US or Europe - they would be asked to resign immediately.

It would probably be classed as Treason or something similar.

Edited November 22, 2013 by Gsxrnz