Aljazeera Asia Pacific reports that Thai PM Surayud did not support the coup that deposed the thrice-elected Thaksin government:
In his first major interview since the military took over on September 19, Surayud Chulanont told Al Jazeera’s 101 East programme: “I can say frankly that I didn’t support the idea of military intervention.” His opposition led him to twice refuse the role of prime minister, but after coup leader, Army chief Sondhi Boonyaratglin, approached him, he said he felt obliged to accept. Surayud said his aim was to smooth the way back to democracy, and then stand down from the post.
Obliged to accept? Why?
3 responses so far ↓
1 nganadeeleg // Dec 15, 2006 at 6:51 pm
‘Obliged to accept? Why?’
I’ll have a guess:
Could it have been a sense of duty to the country once Sonthi B explained the mess?
or
Could it have been a sense of duty to Sonthi B after he pleaded to him that he was the best man for the job?
Andrew, you may be surprised, but there are some people that have a sense of duty, and take on positions of power for reaons other than feathering their own nest.
2 patiwat // Dec 15, 2006 at 9:05 pm
I have a hard time believing Surayud.
Sonthi is Surayud’s boy, and Surayud is Prem’s boy. Is he really telling us that Sonthi (and presumably Prem) were behind the coup, but he wasn’t?
3 Vichai N. // Dec 16, 2006 at 12:04 am
Patiwat you are entitled to withhold belief.
In my other post somewhere in pursuit of nganadee’s ‘white knight system’, I was suggesting that perhaps those two: PM Surayud/General Sonthi could eventually (depending on what transpires next 12 months) be such ‘white knights’ to join Grand White Knight Prem.
These ‘white knights’ could be given constitutional powers to intervene during dangerous national emergencies, such as recent one authored by Thaksin Shinawatra.
Maybe I’ll pass on nganadee’s new political system plan for Thailand, ‘white knights’, to Chamlong Srimuang for serious deliberation by the constitutional drafting body.
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