[Tlc] nation article

[justinm at ucr.edu]

>From THE NATION, Fri, October 27, 2006 : Last updated 0:10 am
> (Thai local time)
> >
> >
> >  Sonthi told Thaksin he would stage a coup
> >
> >
> >EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
> >Sonthi told Thaksin he would stage a coup
> >
> >For the first time, general reveals the inside story of how
> the regime
> >was toppled
> >
> >
> >At last, the story behind that unique part of the "first
> announcement"
> >by the September 19 coup leaders - "We are sorry for the
> >inconvenience"- can be told.
> >
> >
> >Aside from the need to pacify a stunned public, it owed as
> much to one
> >of General Sonthi Boonyaratglin's personal habits. "It's in
> my nature
> >to apologise to people - my tennis partners, even my
> subordinates -
> >for even tiny little things," the head of the Council for
> National
> >Security told Nation Group editors in an exclusive interview on
> >Tuesday.
> >
> >
> >The light-hearted revelation led to more serious ones: He
> drafted most
> >of the coup announcements by himself, starting early in the
> afternoon
> >of that fateful day. When most drafts were ready, he became
> worried
> >about their legal aspects and someone recommended Meechai
> Ruchuphan,
> >who was immediately contacted and picked up from his home
> that night
> >to help.
> >
> >
> >"It was the first time I talked to him," Sonthi said of the
> man who
> >was elected president of the interim National Legislative
> Assembly on
> >the day of the interview.
> >
> >
> >Sonthi said he prepared the drafts himself so that "nobody
> else would
> >know what we were up to".
> >
> >
> >The coup was plotted and carried out by eight key men,
including
> >Sonthi. It was originally intended to take place on
September 20
> >because, with another major anti-Thaksin rally planned for
> that day,
> >the collaborators could repeat the "Portuguese example", in
which
> >military mutiny and anti-government uprising complement each
> other.
> >
> >
> >But having considered risk factors, the plan was moved up to
> September
> >19, when Thaksin was still in New York.
> >
> >
> >According to Sonthi, only four top commanders knew the entire
> picture
> >of the plan. But the other four executed their jobs well.
> >
> >
> >"Each of us took care of our own piece of the jigsaw, which
> fell into
> >place nicely at the end," he said. One significant piece of
> the jigsaw
> >was the role of the Special Forces from Lop Buri who provided
> the coup
> >leaders with much-needed combat experience, loyalty and
> allegiance.
> >
> >
> >"Faith and trust among men at arms doesn't come easily. It
> goes back a
> >long time," he said. His words may have carried a hint of
> scorn for
> >Thaksin Shinawatra, whose "close ties with Class 10" failed
> to produce
> >significant resistance to the coup.
> >
> >
> >The provincial troops were told to move into the capital at
> midnight
> >on September 19, to avoid traffic complications. But at 8pm,
> even men
> >on the street were talking about an imminent coup. "We
> couldn't cope
> >with the news leaks, so I decided to move up the schedule,"
> he said.
> >
> >
> >In the early evening, Sonthi was in contact with the national
> police
> >to ensure major units stayed put and cooperated with the coup
> leaders.
> >
> >
> >Contrary to what many believed, Sonthi said the coup was not
> an urgent
> >measure mooted just a couple of days earlier. However, he was
> adamant
> >the Thaksin camp was also scheming to create violence on
> September 20,
> >so as to enforce a State of Emergency.
> >
> >
> >"The State of Emergency would have given the government a
> pretext to
> >remove me because I wouldn't have obeyed any order to use force
> >against Thai people," he said.
> >
> >
> >During the two-hour interview, the CNS chief revealed tales of
> >mistrust between him and the former prime minister. The general
> >disclosed that during their recent visit to Burma, shortly
> before the
> >coup, he had instructed his men to sneak a gun into the C-130
> plane
> >so, if the need arose, he could protect himself.
> >
> >
> > Asked what made him do that and what he thought Thaksin was
> plotting,
> >Sonthi said: "I don't know. I was just being alert. On the
> plane, I
> >sat near the entrance to the cockpit, where I could know
> quickly if
> >something was about to happen. I had been told to wear my
> uniform but
> >I wore a suit which better covered what I wanted to cover."
> >
> >
> >The level of Thaksin's trust in Sonthi must have been
> similarly low.
> >After all, according to Sonthi, the ousted prime minister was
> given
> >clear warnings of what was coming, long before the coup.
> >
> >
> >The CNS head recalled a time when Thaksin was regularly
> >tongue-in-cheek about transferring top commanders to the Prime
> >Minister's Office. It was then that he asked Sonthi: "Will
> you stage a
> >coup?" Thaksin was taken aback when Sonthi replied: "I will."
> >
> >
> >Sonthi did not elaborate on the exchange, which took place
during
> >Thaksin's lunch with armed forces' leaders at Air Force
> headquarters.
> >But, apparently, Thaksin was less than pleased with reponses
> from the
> >other top commanders, as well.
> >
> >
> >The embattled prime minister sparked a public controversy
> afterwards
> >by claiming an "influential figure beyond the scope of the
> >Constitution" was plotting to overthrow him. At the same time,
> >military sources said he had further alienated himself from
> the armed
> >forces with certain "highly controversial" remarks.
> >
> >
> >Sonthi said it was then that Thaksin asked him again whether
> he was
> >plotting to overthrow him.
> >
> >
> >"I told him my answer remained the same," Sonthi said.
>

______________
Dr. Justin McDaniel
Dept. of Religious Studies
2617 Humanities Building
University of California, Riverside
Riverside, CA 92521
951-827-4530
justinm at ucr.edu