Retired General appointed Prime Minister

[wowpow]

THAILAND GETS 24TH PRIME MINISTER

(dpa) - General Surayud Chulanont, a respected retired army officer who has served as a privy councillor, was appointed Thailand's new Prime Minister Sunday.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej approved his nomination making it official, the government said.

Surayud is Thailand's 24th prime minister since the kingdom became a constitutional monarchy in 1932. But perhaps more important he is the first since 1992 who did not win the position in an election.

Still, he is widely respected by civilian leaders and within the military as honest and not corrupt.

Surayud's appointment comes 13 days after the September 19 coup d'etat that toppled Prime Minister Thakson Shinawater after five-and-a-half years in power.

General Winai Phattiyakul, secretary general of what is now called the Council for National Security (CNS), the third name for military officers who led the bloodless coup, promised the CNS will step aside and let civilians run the country.

But the CNS under article 14 of the new interim charter is allowed to fire the prime minister without resorting to violence, and will continue to be responsible for considering urgent matters.

The military council said a new general election will be held in late 2007, but that it will only come when a new constitution is in place.

Under the interim 39-article charter a national assembly representing all social sectors will select a constitution-drafting assembly to write a new constitution, the government said. The draft will be put up for public hearing within 45 days after it is completed.

The interim constitution also provides CNS with an amnesty for having staged the coup d'etat, saying that the military leaders will not be held legally accountable for their past actions in toppling the Thaksin administration.

Bangkok Post Breaking News

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Still, he is widely respected by civilian leaders and within the military as honest and not corrupt.

This is the Bangkok Post, not the Pyongyang Daily News. It would be laughable if it weren't so goddammed sad/scary.

The test is whether there really will be elections in 2007.
In the past, military rule has lasted for many years at a time.
I will believe it when I see it, but still remain hopeful that the coup was a necessary evil because Thailand had run out of good choices. Thaksin had to go and he is gone, so now we are in the now what phase.

How truly unexpected

The test is whether there really will be elections in 2007.
In the past, military rule has lasted for many years at a time.
I will believe it when I see it, but still remain hopeful that the coup was a necessary evil because Thailand had run out of good choices. Thaksin had to go and he is gone, so now we are in the now what phase.

Guess it depends which Politician will guarantee the generals that they wont be dismissed immediately or even arrested. Thaksin may be gone but his supporters and cronies are still around lurking in dark corners sharpening knives.

Thaksin may be gone but his supporters and cronies are still around lurking in dark corners sharpening knives.

There must be a lot of dark corners to fit all those supporters in them. At least 25-30 million of them, by my reckoning.

Still, he is widely respected by civilian leaders and within the military as honest and not corrupt.

This is the Bangkok Post, not the Pyongyang Daily News. It would be laughable if it weren't so goddammed sad/scary.

BBC NEWS
Dependable choice, Thaialnds new PM is respected by civilians and military alike

Positive standing, both at home and abroad, will allay fears that the military is choosing one of its own to be the country's leader.

A reputation for being incorruptible - an important trait given the accusations of graft levelled at his predecessor, the ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

He publicly expressed his displeasure during the May 1992 uprising, in which many civilians were killed, and has campaigned tirelessly for a more modern, accountable army.

Becoming a commander in 1997, he again prioritised the fight against corruption and rights violations - and was seen as a friend to Burmese refugees for the part he played in allowing them to seek refuge in Thailand.

In the late 1990s, Gen Surayud clashed with Mr Thaksin, who wanted to increase business ties with the Burmese military leaders.

After leaving the army in 2003, the devout Buddhist spent a lengthy time being a monk.

Ironically, one of the main legacies from his long military career is his attempt to distance the army from politics.

He is seen as pivotal in changing the military from a self-serving, often corrupt, group of individuals into a modern, professional organisation.

In fact Time Magazine once described him as "perhaps the most important Thai figure of the modern era".

Civilians and the army alike do not appear to see Gen Surayud as military at all. One of the six most senior coup leaders, Gen Winai Pattariya, said recently: "We all consider that a retired general is a civilian."

Political leaders seem to agree. Korn Chatikavanij, deputy general secretary of the opposition Democrat Party, recently described Gen Surayud as an "appropriate" choice.

The former general has always distanced himself from any intention of entering the political arena.

But now the military has taken over the country, and they need a prime minister whom they, the Thai people and the international community trust.

And especialy for te yankie doodles: BBC NEWS

He fought Thai communist insurgents in the 1960s, and later fended off incursions from Burmese troops and ethnic Wa guerrillas.

[Bob]

Sometimes I don't get the repeated bravado regarding the fighting of the communist insurgent rebels in the 1960's. Based on most histories I've read, the alleged communist insurgency was about 9 guys hiding in the woods and occasionally taking a potshot at some buffalo.

Given there are thousands claiming they saved the country by fighting them off, it must have been a hell of a war.

Sometimes I don't get the repeated bravado regarding the fighting of the communist insurgent rebels in the 1960's. Based on most histories I've read, the alleged communist insurgency was about 9 guys hiding in the woods and occasionally taking a potshot at some buffalo.

Given there are thousands claiming they saved by the country by fighting them off, it must have been a hell of a war.

The highly recommended book THE KING NEVER SMILES (by me and the New York Times) makes it clear that the communist "insurgency" movement in Thailand was never a serious movement, was not any proof of a "domino" theory, and was basically a pro peasant rights movement, dealt murderously by the Thai military and I am afraid, the beloved King who overreacted to this threat, probably out of a fear of the monarchy falling, as it did in Laos.

It was just thrown as a bone for the Doodles. Forget the completely discredited book the King never smiles. By the way 'intern, the Far Eastern Economic Review, has effectively now been banned in Singapore, however I don't think their expose on the crap book had too much to do with it.

Quite honestly I think it is great shame that Surayud Chulanont will only be up for it for a year. Maybe he will be convinced to run in the elections 2008. A thoroughly good man.

In a manner that genuinely reflected a mix of his military background and deep spiritual soul-searching in the monkhood, Surayud vowed to rehabilitate a badly wounded nation, divided by unprecedented political conflicts and rocked by growing insurgency in the deep South. He pledged to bring about national happiness through HM the King's advocated sufficiency economy and political reform that hopefully could see a return to full democracy after one year.

No boasting about mega projects or quick modernisation or "poverty will be no more". Yesterday's events were as "un-Thaksin" as we could ever hope they could be. Intentional or not, a clear message was sent that Surayud will be overseeing a transition from roller-coaster, eye-catching shallow politicking, marred by massive corruption, and excess, to something more practical and less divisive.

excerpts,The nation