Former Army chief General Sonthi Boonyarattaglin, who led the September 19, 2006 coup that toppled the Thaksin regime, has admitted that the failure of the post-coup government to continue the "Thaksin economic model" had polarised the country.
Former Army chief General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, who led the 2006 coup that toppled the Thaksin regime, has admitted that the failure of the post-coup government to continue the "Thaksin economic model" had polarised the country.
"Had we followed in the footsteps of Thaksin especially in implementing populist policies, our society would have not been torn," he said.
He said he had instructed the Cabinet to retain populist policies that helped improve the lot of the common people. Sonthi said his remarks were sincere and he did not fear losing face.
"This is a separate matter (from the coup). Thaksin had inflicted great damage on the country, which has become even more apparent today. We do not accept that but we accept only the good things that he did. Whoever does good things, we have to help continue the mission," he |said.
Sonthi opened his heart during an interview that included other people involved in the coup four years ago. The interview will be shown at 11pm tonight on Nation Channel's "Behind the People and Behind the News".
He said the main reason why he decided to launch the putsch was that he received a metal-cabinet full of letters urging him and the military to protect the country. The letters are kept at Supreme Command Headquarters.
Denying that the military had ousted a civil government, Sonthi said that before the coup, the country was not democratic.
"Even a superpower like the US knew the situation. I was talking to the US ambassador all the time. The US understood the country's political situation,'' he said.