Guest buaseng Posted January 4, 2007 Posted January 4, 2007 Bangkok Post breaking news at 2017 hrs 4 Jan 2007 carries the following report: Army chief denies rumour of new coup Army chief and Council for National Security chairman Gen Sonthi Bunyaratkalin Thursday evening denied rumours that there might be another coup tonight. These rumours spreading quickly and widely in Bangkok. Mobile phone networks were stretched as people check the news with friends or people they believe might get a clue on the rumours. A report being checked by the Bangkok Post as the possible source of the rumour is that troops and tanks were mobilised at Ubon Ratchathani for deployment to the South on Thursday - and this was the spark for wild rumours that the troops were on their way to mount a counter-coup in Bangkok. A journalist at Bangkok Post said he has so far received many calls from friends to check if the coup rumours could be for real. Gen Sonthi flatly denied that troops had been mobilised from the Second Army Region base in Nakhon Ratchasima and that tanks had arrived at Sara Buri by the evening . "There's definitely no such movement," he confirmed. Rumors also have it that the Council of National Security planned to stage another coup to boost their own power. He also flatly denied such speculation while Assistant Army Commander in Chief Gen Anupong Paojinda also denied such rumours. The army urges the public not to believe such rumors and that the people should believe in the army's ability to control the situation, Gen Sonthi said. Quote
