Coup ‘being considered’
 The Nation
November 27 , 2005 - Some elements in the military are considering staging a coup and have been meeting with law experts over the past two months, Thammasat University law lecturer Kittisak Prokati claimed yesterday.
Kittisak said some officers consulted with law experts about possible legal repercussions if a coup were to take place.
The allegation came as the stock market continues to suffer because of rumours about a possible coup d’ etat that began circulating in the middle of last week.
Kittisak did not provide further details, but warned that Thaksin was falling into his own trap by trying to “muzzle the media and talk shows”, such as that of Sondhi Limthongkul.
“Such suppression of press freedom has created an uneasy political atmosphere. This is a result of the government trying to turn the lights off everything,” Kittisak said. “If the government continues to do this, I’m not sure what will happen.”
Former intelligence chief and prominent political commentator Prasong Soonsiri told The Nation that events increasingly resemble the weeks before the May 1992 uprising, when Prime Minister Suchinda Kraprayoon was ousted in a popular revolt.
“When I look back to the May incident, the gathering of people began with some little issues and it eventually snowballed,” said Prasong, “What the government is doing now is not right. It’s getting out of control like in May [1992] and October [1973].”
Prasong warned the prime minister to take heed when tens of thousands of people assemble, because the situation is definitely not normal.
He added that the C-130 plane scandal, in which the prime minister’s younger sister is accused of using an Air Force plane to transport friends from Bangkok to her birthday party in Chiang Mai, should be properly investigated by the Defence Ministry before politicians start coming out to defend Thaksin’s sister.
Buri Ram Senator Karun Sai-ngam said Thaksin’s air of arrogance only makes matters worse.
“The prime minister often behaves in ways that belittle others, or he looks at others as if they’re stupid and he is smart. He doesn’t listen to others and doesn’t respect others, and is arrogant. This kind of behaviour induces people to assemble [to oppose him].”
Pian Yongnue, a leader of a group opposing the privatisation of electricity and water group that has supported Sondhi’s weekly talk show, said the stance the government adopts between now and December 9, when Sondhi will address the crowds at Lumpini Park again, would be crucial.
Many of the doubts and scandals plaguing the prime minister and people around him, like his younger sister, should be cleared by then in order to avoid a revolt.
“Some 200,000 people will really march to oust the government if nothing is cleared,” Pian said. “He can prepare himself by digging a hole like Saddam [Hussein].”
He added that a further crucial factor would be what His Majesty the King says in his annual birthday speech on December 4, the day before his birthday.
Although Thaksin may be in trouble, at least one political observer believes that Sondhi, Thaksin’s arch critic, is also trapped in trouble of his own making.
Sombat Thamrongtanyawong, a political scientist at the National Institute of Development Administration, said that as people’s anger towards the prime minister increases, Sondhi will soon have to come up with a concrete proposal for what to do with the government.
“If the political climate reaches boiling point and Sondhi is still refusing to hand the government an ultimatum, then the people will hand Sondhi an ultimatum,” Sombat said.
Sathien
Viriyaphanpongsa,
Pravit Rojanaphruk |
