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Published on December 2, 2007

There was a sense of optimism following a meeting between senior newspaper editors and Army chief General Anupong Paochinda on Wednesday. The recently appointed Army head vowed to stay out of politics and maintained that no coup would be launched, even if it meant working under those loyal to ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Like former US president George Bush Sr's electoral promise, "Read my lips, no new taxes", Anupong's statement was a source of comfort for the general public, who are concerned that he would stage another coup to save his hide and his job.

His blunt statement was a breath of fresh air given the fact that the country has experienced one of its lowest ebbs.

But, while he stressed neutrality in Thai politics, Anupong knows full well how vulnerable he is, partly because the Thai military has never fully divorced itself from politics. The September 19, 2006 strike against the government was a case in point.

When the scenario of an unfriendly political force taking power and seeking vengeance against him was presented, Anupong said there was no way he would do anything as ridiculous as going against the mandate of the people.

"Who is stupid enough to circulate the idea that I might seize power after the balloting?" Anupong asked.

The Army chief also turned the tables on the public and placed the onus on them by saying that they would get the government they voted for and reminding them that they too have a stake in the outcome. And, if he is bullied by any elected figure, he said, he would expect the press and the public to come to his rescue. But using guns and tanks to get his way is out of the question, he maintained.

Like the average man on the street, Anupong knows that the Army was delivered a big black eye after a document was leaked that outlined a strategy to contain Thaksin loyalists in the upcoming general election. Instead of going into battle with Thaksin loyalists, Anupong insisted that due process of the law and existing mechanisms should be given a chance to work.

The 2006 coup against the Thaksin government was not a seizure of power but a suspension of it, Anupong said. Anupong said he and his men were neutral and that the military was letting politics take on its due course. But staying neutral doesn't mean a suspension of power. As long as the military continues to cling to power through the Council of National Security (CNS), the name the junta has given itself, Anupong's promises and intentions, regardless of how genuine they may be, will always be questioned.

Assuming that the upcoming election goes smoothly and a civilian government is returned to power, there is another nagging issue that has yet to be resolved. The Army's image remains tainted by the draconian security measures prescribed in the Internal Security Bill.

Anupong became a little murky on that subject as he tried to draw an analogy to an excavation. "To dig the earth, you need various tools depending on the job required. But we have not had a specialised law to deal with security issues since the end of the Communist insurgency," he said.

Anupong defended his support for the new legislation on security on the grounds that without it, martial law would have to be enacted in selected areas. "To me, the legislation is the right tool to replace such an over-sized tool as martial law," Anupong said.

While it is generally agreed that a new security bill is needed to cope with new security challenges, what bothers many Thais is the idea that the new legislation could very well cement the Army's place in Thai politics.

If history has taught us anything, the public's concern over this very point is not unfounded. Thailand's democracy movement has gone several rounds with the military and the memories have yet to subside.

As it stands, the Internal Security Act would establish an Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) under the control of the prime minister.  The act would establish the Army chief as the deputy director of Isoc, while the Army's four area commanders would be made directors of their respective regions. Unfortunately, this would place the military at the heart of a future civilian government at all levels.