More Troops Sent to Bangkok

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The following appears in the BANGKOK POST

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Third Army Moves Troops to Capital

 

Follows Fears Thaksin may Return to Country

 

WASSANA NANUAM, ANUCHA CHAROENPO & MONGKOL BANGPRAPA

 

The Third Army sent a battalion of troops to Bangkok last night following fears of the return of deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and protests against the election of Meechai Ruchupan as National Legislative Assembly (NLA) president. An army source said the troops were sent from Nakhon Sawan, the closest contingent of the Third Army to Bangkok. Another four battalions were reported to be moving down from Phitsanulok.

 

Army chief Gen Sonthi Boonyaratkalin has instructed the First Army, especially units based in Bangkok, to be on alert to deal with any untoward developments over the coming week, the source said.

 

For its part, the Fourth Army in charge of the South has been instructed to step up road checkpoints in the region for fear that Mr Thaksin might sneak back by car into the country from Malaysia via Singapore, the source added.

 

The precautions followed unconfirmed reports that Mr Thaksin had travelled to Singapore from England, where he has been in self-imposed exile since he was ousted in the Sept 19 coup.

 

''We have to take precautions because Pol Lt-Col Thaksin is the sort of person who says yes when he means no and no when he means yes,'' the source noted.

 

The military movements came to light after Mr Meechai was elected president of the NLA yesterday, in a move that sparked fierce criticism from anti-Thaksin groups who see him as being loyal to the deposed prime minister.

 

The election came amid an upsurge of criticism against the Council for National Security (CNS) and the interim government of Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont.

 

The critics include academics and non-governmental organisations opposed to the coup, including the Campaign for Popular Democracy that was at the forefront in the People's Alliance for Democracy that protested against Mr Thaksin for several months earlier this year.

 

Several mobs could form at this juncture, the army sources said, quoting intelligence reports. They include those against Mr Meechai's election as NLA president, and those protesting the continued imposition of martial law.

 

''This is where the military fears that a third hand, or previously powerful elements loyal to Pol Lt-Col Thaksin may create a situation by infiltrating or organising mobs to stir up violence in order to lure soldiers into using force, or violent means because they are empowered to do so under martial law,'' a source said.

 

The army sources said Gen Saprang Kalyanamitr, assistant army chief and assistant secretary-general of the CNS, asked Gen Sonthi for permission to move Third Army forces under the command of Lt-Gen Chiradej Kotcharat into Bangkok to reinforce units based in the capital.

 

Gen Sonthi and Gen Vinai Paetayakul, permanent secretary for defence and CNS secretary-general, had been in consultations with Gen Surayud about the matter.

 

The military was also concerned about the spread of reports of division in the CNS, especially reports that Pol Gen Kowit Wattana would be dismissed as the national police chief because he had failed to follow policy, the sources said.

 

The recent razing of schools in the provinces has been put down to the failure of police to contain the situation.

 

''Pol Gen Kowit has not been dismissed because he is a classmate of Gen Sonthi and most members of the CNS. But his role and stand have been discussed in the CNS several times,'' the sources said.

 

The CNS was watching local politicians and former Thai Rak Thai MPs based in the Northeast and North, the sources said. It was also monitoring the movements of former communist insurgents who were close to core members of Mr Thaksin's ousted government as there were attempts to rally these people around their common grievance about the state's failure to allot land to them.

 

Intelligence reports suggested that police and military officers loyal to Mr Thaksin were stirring up discontent with leaflets and rumours, the sources said.

 

Mr Meechai promised to prove his worth as head of the interim parliament and called on his critics to give him time.

 

As NLA president, he would only be responsible for supervising the selection of the 2,000 members of the National People's Assembly, which will proceed with drafting the constitution, he said.

 

His assembly was not the one drafting the new constitution. The interim charter had clearly divided the responsibilities of the two assemblies, Mr Meechai said.

 

Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda said Mr Meechai was an ''ace legal expert'' and honourable person who would be a ''good president'' of the NLA.