No coup under my command: new Army chief Chalermchai

[klauskunkel]

While new army chiefs from other countries focus on "country's defense", "army reform", or "modernizing", the very first public statement of any new Thai army chief is...  "No coup from me, don't worry"

I don't know if that's stupid or clever, probably unintentionally clever.

 

 

 

 

[HoboKay]

4 minutes ago, KIWIBATCH said:

"Trust me"...said the General..." I am thai".......

 

Says the man who got his knickers in a wad over a computer game called Tropico and banned it from this country.

[Eric Loh]

Coup or uprising, whichever comes first from deteriorating events behind the scene. 

[MZurf]

2 hours ago, JAG said:

 

Illuminating is it not? The Head of the Army sees a coup as part of his duties, should the government not rule "with integrity".

 

Who defines this "integrity"?

 

Surely not the head of the army?

I have often asked the junta supporters on TVF the same question. Never got an answer.

[Srikcir]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

the army would not stage a coup under his leadership.

Meaning that a coup is considered as option under the authority of the military.

 

Chalermchai's statement just confirms that the system of elite rule will remain in place irrespective of any People's Constitution. While the latter requires the Thai populace to obey law and order prescribed by the Constitution, the former is only bound by nebulous  nonconstitutional or transcendental unwritten elements that exist outside of the constitution, ie., such as integrity, patriotism, restraint, etc. as defined by the elite class - albeit for application to the populace and not to themselves.

 

Chalermachai ominously states that he "follow orders from my superiors." As demonstrated over the last 12 coups, such superiors have not been answerable to the Thai electorate but to a separate, thus higher, authority. The Thai elite system of "dark" governance diverges from the path to democracy.

 

 

[colinneil]

No need for him to plan a coup.

He already has his snout in the trough, and it was the last coup that got him his present job.

[williamgeorgeallen]

army has formed the new government so who is going to do a coup? the police, they will need a lot more guns, and tanks.

[jamesbrock]

24 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

Meaning that a coup is considered as option under the authority of the military.

 

Chalermchai's statement just confirms that the system of elite rule will remain in place irrespective of any People's Constitution. While the latter requires the Thai populace to obey law and order prescribed by the Constitution, the former is only bound by nebulous  nonconstitutional or transcendental unwritten elements that exist outside of the constitution, ie., such as integrity, patriotism, restraint, etc. as defined by the elite class - albeit for application to the populace and not to themselves.

 

Chalermachai ominously states that he "follow orders from my superiors." As demonstrated over the last 12 coups, such superiors have not been answerable to the Thai electorate but to a separate, thus higher, authority. The Thai elite system of "dark" governance diverges from the path to democracy.

 

This very apt, five year old story from the Nation expands upon your truths further.

 

Quote

The [invisible] hand (he or she, there could be more than one invisible hand), operates in the shadow because it cannot bear the scrutiny, the transparency and accountability of a democratic society. It also apparently does not believe the majority of voters should be able to elect their own representatives and determine the future course of Thai society.

The flesh and blood puppets of the invisible hand can at time rebel and become a loose cannon, however. What Chumpol said last week might have been an aberration of a puppet and so he quickly enough, but belatedly, tried to play down what he had said earlier.

There are many puppets. Their job is to make unconstitutional and unpalatable things acceptable and be rewarded. These flesh and blood puppets do have their own ambitions and interests too, so their relationship with the puppet master, or the invisible hand, isn't actually that straightforward and smooth, and not always subservient.

 

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2011/06/15/national/Invisible-hand-throttles-our-democracy-30157823.html

 

It's just a pity that we have posters who refuse to accept this truth and go on to praise the current puppet as a "hero" and a "brave man"... 

[hansnl]

4 hours ago, Eligius said:

Absolutely. And 'acting with integrity' in this context means serving the less than 1% who think they have the right to own and control this country and kick the powerless in the teeth - day after day!

Please explain to me how it is done in your country?

Directly or indirectly.

[Retiredandhappyhere]

So, if he or his bosses, in their opinion,  decide that the government is not acting with intergrity, they CAN stage a coup?  One wonders how they would recognise integrity anyway.

[realenglish1]

ROFL

[heybruce]

" The country's last coups in 2006 and 2014 gained the "overwhelming support" of the people, as they could help avert political violence, he said."

 

Of course he means the overwhelming support of the right kind of people in Bangkok.  Martial law and a curfew were imposed nationwide, and strictly enforced outside of Bangkok, after the 2014 coup in fear of the fact that the Thai people didn't support the coup.

[brucec64]

"I am a professional soldier, and I follow orders from my superiors. I can confirm that there will be no coup, so there should be no concern about me," he said.

 

Did he just call Prayut an unprofessional soldier who does not follow orders?

 

Also, interesting that his opening statements only focused on whether he would a) turn on the Thai people and b) turn on his own military. Nothing about the military actually protecting the country against any foreign threats...

[MZurf]

"I am a professional soldier, and I follow orders from my superiors. I can confirm that there will be no coup, so there should be no concern about me," he said.
 
Did he just call Prayut an unprofessional soldier who does not follow orders?
 
Also, interesting that his opening statements only focused on whether he would a) turn on the Thai people and  turn on his own military. Nothing about the military actually protecting the country against any foreign threats...

That is obviously not the main purpose of the Thai military.

[AGareth2]

oh well

soon then

[AGareth2]

his appointment is interesting

almost as if there is a rift developing

thieves often fall out

[tbthailand]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

Any government that rules with integrity is unlikely to be overthrown by the military, as the coup-makers would have no good reason to justify their action, he said

 

the army IS the problem... 

 

And has been since 1932.

[maoro2013]

4 hours ago, hansnl said:

Please explain to me how it is done in your country?

Directly or indirectly.

Yes money runs the world. 

[oldhippy]

10 hours ago, Thechook said:

There was another recent general who expressed the same phrase in 2014.  I wonder what he is doing these days.

My coup is different!

 

[mrmicbkktxl]

" I am a professional soldier, and I follow orders from my superiors "

Does that mean prayuth is not a good soldier because he didn't follow orders from his superiors[Khun Yingluk],and he helped suthep and other thugs to prevent people from voting ?

[Rorri]

AS if he would publicly announce he was planning a coup, history shows, on an average, there is a coup, every 2 years, in Thailand. Because of certain laws we cannot mention what the military has done, readers should read the history, of Thai coups.

[Dexlowe]

6 minutes ago, Rorri said:

readers should read the history, of Thai coups.

 

Every 4 years on average since 1932, as you'll see if you read the history of Thai coups.

[Rorri]

2 minutes ago, Dexlowe said:

 

Every 4 years on average since 1932, as you'll see if you read the history of Thai coups.

My apologies, you are correct.

[Baerboxer]

12 hours ago, ukrules said:

This is very reassuring. I'm sure I've heard this before but I can't quite place where, when and more importantly who said it; but I've definitely heard it before.

 

The time to start worrying is when it gets 'vowed" !

[Chris Lawrence]

The Generals 'Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel'.  

[Xircal]

He must have read my post yesterday.

[HoboKay]

2 hours ago, Dexlowe said:

 

Every 4 years on average since 1932, as you'll see if you read the history of Thai coups.

Any astrologers mapped out the stars that are aligned or dominant or whatever-astrologer-terms-is-applicable, during those years where each coup occurs?

 

Perhaps its celestial in nature.

[Wilsonandson]

"I am a professional soldier, and I follow orders from my superiors. I can confirm that there will be no coup, so there should be no concern about me," he said.

So Prayuth is not a professional soldier and doesn't follow orders from his superiors. So there should be concern about him?

[BlindMagician]

So a coup is on the horizon then.

 

The key word in his statement is "unlikely". It does leave the door open doesn't it.