Former Army chief and now a member of the Matumbhum Party, General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, speaks to The Nation's Achara Pongvutitham about the upcoming "Judgement Day"
How will you react if the Supreme Court does not find ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra guilty in the Bt76-billion assets-seizure case on February 26?
It is my duty to respect the court's verdict, whatever it is. It's the country's highest court, and should be respected by every Thai. In fact, the judiciary system is a critical component of the checks-and-balances system in a democracy and there are always people who agree or disagree on certain issues in any democracy.
This time, however, the government should take strict legal measures [if there is unrest]. We need to govern by the rule of law.
Wouldn't you say there are double standards in the overall justice system with regard to Thaksin's case?
Please don't suggest such a thing. If you were a parent, wouldn't you love all your kids equally? It's the same in the judgement of court cases and has nothing to do with the notion of double standards.
As leader of the 2006 coup, you cited four reasons for overthrowing the Thaksin government, including lese majeste, widespread corruption and unlawful interference with independent bodies. In hindsight, how do you think those reasons stand today?
The reasons are obvious and most importantly, I wasn't the one seizing Thaksin's assets, but an independent body that was commissioned to do the job legitimately. Personally, I stick to the truth and still have respect for Thaksin.
You have joined a political party that will contest in the next elections, even though you had previously staged a coup that effectively overthrew a democratically elected government.
What is your definition of a democracy? I won't say that a military coup is right or wrong, but I don't believe every coup has destroyed democracy. Sometimes, a coup can help start the process of restoring a democratic way of life.
For instance, in the Philippines the people were instrumental in restoring democracy. In Thailand, we didn't have a democratic way of life because there was widespread political interference in our independent agencies. Also there was political interference in the mass media, as you may remember, so we didn't have a free press. Then on September 20, 2006, people came out to give roses to soldiers [who had staged the coup]. They were happy with what we did - we could call it the "flower revolution". Without the public's support, no coup would be successful.
This time, I don't think it would be easy to stage another coup. The country is polarised with red and yellow shirts, so I don't think the military will do it again. We should be talking about national unity instead.
What message do you have for Thai citizens?
Don't worry about what is going to happen on February 26 or there being another military coup. People should continue their work as usual.
