The order is viewed as an attempt to make it difficult for allies of deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to meet him in a foreign rendezvous.

Adisorn Piengket, a former deputy agriculture minister, said he recently received a letter from the Immigration Bureau asking members of the previous Cabinet to give details about their trips before they went abroad.

"I admit being confused while reading the letter. However, I asked myself why I should be concerned when the country is now under dictatorial rule," said Adisorn.

The outspoken politician said he would not ask the CNS to respect human rights, because that was a minor issue for them.

"If foreigners read the letter, they'll laugh, because former ministers must ask for permission before leaving the country," he said.

Adisorn added that he had no plans to travel abroad soon.

Somchai Sunthornvut, a former deputy interior minister, yesterday said he was willing to do as the CNS wanted. "I don't need to think about it. I'm ready to comply to please the CNS," he said.

Somchai said he understood the CNS wanted to monitor only certain former ministers in case they went abroad. "But they wanted to avoid allegations of double standards, so they sent the letter to all of the former ministers," he said.

Somchai said he felt more humiliated by another letter from the Foreign Ministry asking former ministers to return their diplomatic passports following the coup.

Preecha Laohapongchana, a former deputy commerce minister, yesterday said he was not surprised that a post-coup junta wanted to know every movement of the overthrown government's executives. "However, we should not get too serious if we go along with them," he said.

Immigration Bureau commissioner Police Lt-General Suwat Tumrongsriskul sent the letter to former ministers, asking them to inform the CNS when they wanted to travel to international destinations.

The letter instructs them to inform the CNS at least seven days before they leave and provide their flight numbers and contact details.

Foreign Ministry deputy spokesman Kiattikhun Chartprasert said yesterday the ministry had sent letters to ex-ministers asking them to return their diplomatic passports since they had left their posts.

"It is ministry tradition to cancel diplomatic passports of former Cabinet members, except for the prime minister and the foreign minister," he said.

But he said he did not know the letter's details and had not checked to see if former ministers had returned their passports.

Sucheera Pinijparakarn

The Nation