Defense Council briefly discusses 20 year military reform plan



BANGKOK, 28 March 2016 (NNT) – The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense has revealed that the latest Defense Council meeting reviewed monthly reports with the only special agenda being preliminary discussion of the 20 year military reform plan.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Gen Prawit Wongsuwan chaired the latest Defense Council meeting at the office the Defense Permanent Secretary.

He disclosed that the meeting did not have any special agendas and was mostly focused on hearing monthly reports from the various armed forces. He mentioned however, that top brass attending the conference also discussed the 20 year military reform plan with a focus on utilization of funds.

Asked about possible calls to move the retirement age of civil servants to 65, Gen Prawit said he has not received any details on the matter yet but said such a change would require time and legal amendments.


-- NNT 2016-03-28

So the election will be in 2036. Already then!

That 10 second discussion has now ended and been deemed unnecessary as the 5 thousand odd generals are required to protect us from the publc requiring military transparency.

20 year military reform plan with a focus on utilization of funds.

20 years planning for the through..

Who needs pension

Sure. Plan 20 years out.... When all current Generals and Senior politicians will be dead! Why not go for a 50 year plan? Makes about the same (lack of) sense.

I've never heard of a meeting without an agenda. Is this common? Or only in LOS.

He mentioned however, that top brass attending the conference also discussed the 20 year military reform plan with a focus on amassing even higher levels of unexplained wealth.

Fixed.

Briefly, being the operative word.

Military reform? No one? Ok, next.

Twenty year plan, get plenty of brown envelopes ordered, ready for our personal use.

Sure. Plan 20 years out.... When all current Generals and Senior politicians will be dead! Why not go for a 50 year plan? Makes about the same (lack of) sense.

my thoughts also. Why do it so hastily? How about a 60 year plan or a 125 year plan? Everyone knows the military and police are loath to seriously discipline their own cadres. Hey, I got it.... a 200 year plan! Yea, that's good. We'll start cleaning things up in 200 years. Does that sound good to everyone? (asked of all the dozens of generals sitting around with serious looks on their old faces)... Ok, that's it then; in 200 years we'll get started.

What about axing conscription and let the guys finish their UNI without interruptions , the reforms may come early if the Lotus revolution gets going............................... .

I've never heard of a meeting without an agenda. Is this common? Or only in LOS.

My wife works in civil government and they have endless meetings, some within their office building for their department and others in Bangkok. Sometimes in other places like this week in Nakhon Ratchasima. They often get cheap rates in older hotels or resorts and often out of the high season.

I might ask her if they have agendas but I doubt I'll get a straight answer. I can confirm they love having meetings although my wife often complains they are boring so I suspect they are often for the benefit of the top people so they can feel important. It ties in quite well with the enthusiasm for committees that we often see here.

There was a really good one about a week ago. It was about a productivity project in factories run in conjunction with a university. A bit like a racial diversity project run by the KKK and the Nazis.

I now understand some of the reason for low unemployment here.

More blimps to be purchased.

20 year military reform plan

Edited March 28, 201610 yr by Wilsonandson

The focus being the correct utilisation of funds.

I imagine they will be checking on themselves to make sure there will be no corruption involved with said funds.

Good on you guys.

More blimps to be purchased.

They more than likely reviewed their military procurement list. Subs check, tanks check, missiles check, more soldiers check patrol boats check. Well they still have years left in their military planning to add other toys.

such a change would require time and legal amendments.

TRANSLATION:

Not going to happen in my lifetime.

20 year military reform plan with a focus on utilization of funds.

20 years planning for the through..

Who needs pension

.or indeed, a dictionary. Good user name!

You picked out the phrase that jumped out at me. No focus on effectiveness, training, reform etc, only funding and how to make sure it all gets "used"

Breaking news.

Junta Grants Police Powers to Military

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1459332070

BANGKOK — Soldiers last night were granted sweeping authority to conduct warrantless searches of homes, seize assets and detain civilians without charge.

On the order of junta chief Prayuth Chan-ocha, a wide range of powers usually reserved for civilian police were bestowed to members of the military Tuesday night, ostensibly to carry out the junta’s policy of rooting out underworld influences and unduly “influential people” in the economy and society.

Under the order, soldiers appointed by the junta have powers equal to police for crime suppression. Soldiers from the rank of sub-lieutenant and up are heretofore named “suppression officers,” while their subordinates will assist them.

Prayuth’s order, issued under the absolute power his junta wrote for itself under Article 44 of its interim constitution, went into immediate effect.

Soldiers can now search individuals and take their property without any judicial review, so long as the soldier suspects involvement in a crime.

They can also bring anyone in for interrogation under such suspicion. If needed, they can detain people without charge for up to seven days.

The move is another example of the junta bypassing civil society and process, senior researcher Sunai Phasuk of Human Rights Watch said, and can lead to abuse of power.

“It shows the preference for unchecked action which can be carried out with total impunity,” he said.

Sunai said the list of influential figures recently released contained community leaders targeted by the military and government for defending their community rights, mostly in cases concerning conflict over resources.

Sunai cited the recent case of Lamom Boonyong, a 65-year-old community leader in Rayong province who has fought to save his local fishing community from military eviction. He was just summoned by military on Tuesday under the cover of the government’s “influential figures” crackdown.

Since the military seized power nearly two years ago, it has posited itself as a corruption-buster willing to take tough measures to eliminate the graft endemic to all levels of society. A proposed constitution for the nation released Tuesday, written by junta appointees, strengthens its grip on power under the same argument: ending corruption.

Tuesday’s order from Prayuth’s interim cabinet establishes a parallel and separate process from the traditional institutions of justice.

“But the detention must be in places other than police stations, detention facilities, correctional institutions and prisons,” the order said. “And that individual must not be treated as an alleged offender.”

If people are deemed guilty, their cases will go forward under “related laws,” it continues. Suspects can be released without condition or under certain restrictions, such as losing their freedom to travel or engage in financial transactions.

The order makes no mention of what would happen were a suspect found not guilty after detention.

It also shielded any actions taken under the order from administrative review and extended legal immunity to any soldiers “who honestly carry out their duties.” Those who claim to be adversely affected will retain the right to file for compensation.

The order requires soldiers who suspect involvement in the following crimes to exercise their new power: making criminal threats, smuggling drugs, gambling and weapons possession.

Police spokesman Kritsana Pattanacharoen responded to the order Wednesday, saying he believed the junta empowered the military with police powers to support the police, as he said they don’t have enough officers.

He said he did not think the order granted soldiers excessive power.