Organization: Central Michigan University
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.seasia-l
Date:         Thu, 1 Oct 1992 08:14:38 EDT
From:         Elliott Parker <3ZLUFUR@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>
Subject:      TH: Chavalit gets tough with death threats

=======================  Forwarded  Message  ===========================
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 92 00:42:00+0700
From: kamol@ipied.tu.ac.th (Kamol Hengkietisak)

NEWLY-APPOINTED Interior Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh yesterday vowed to act
decisively against the people responsible for making death threats against
national figures.

Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn was reported to have said at a seminar at
the Asia Hotel on Tuesday that she had received a death threat from "dark
influences" that wanted to obstruct her work.

Earlier, a message was sent by fax to various airlines threatening to attack
them if they carried outgoing prime minister Anand Panyarachun and four other
ministers on their flights.

Gen Chavalit, who is former army commander-in-chief and supreme commander, said
that to solve this problem "we must be on the offensive and have accurate
information."

"We must take the offensive and not let the threats go without taking any
action, otherwise this practice will continue," he said.

When asked by reporters about the threat to a person of the highest institution,
which was apparently a reference to Princess Chulabhorn, Gen Chavalit said the
problem must be solved.

"Once it is known where the threat came from, we will act. We have our own
methods of dealing with this type of problem," he said without elaborating.

Princess Chulabhorn reportedly told the seminar that some "influential persons"
had encroached on
 la72X[[k+=IQ!I=e1Y1=A59QAI=)QU9I!I)patronage in Thung
 Yai District of Nakhon Si Thammarat.

The encroachers had issued threats to government officials involved in the
project while she herself also received a threat.

Meanwhile, the Police Department will maintain security arrangements for Mr
Anand and a number of key cabinet ministers along with their families for a
certain period of time after their term expires, deputy Police Department chief
Manas Krutchaiyant said yesterday.

The continued presence of security for the outgoing prime minister and his
ministers will be maintained in view of the recent threat issued to airlines by
an unknown group of persons who said they would blow up their offices if they
allow Mr Anand, science, technology and environment minister Phaichitr
Uathaweekul, transport and communications minister Nukul Prachuabmoh, justice
minister Wichian Watanakun and commerce minister Amaret Sila-on as well as their
families to board their planes.

Pol Gen Manas said he will leave it to individual ministers to decide if they
want to reduce the size of their security.

However, Pol Gen Manas noted that the ministers had never made any request for
police protection.

Pol Gen Manas said, meanwhile, that it will be more convenient for the Police
Department to provide security for Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai if the Premier
decides to move from his house in Soi Morleng in Pratunam to reside at Ban
Phitsanulok.

It was not the duty of the Police Department, however, to suggest that the Prime
Minister move.

The Police Department will provide full security for the Prime Minister even if
he decides to stay on at Soi Morleng, he said.

In other developments yesterday, Gen Chavalit expressed agreement with a draft
royal decree requiring an election to determine the head of the
 provZk++Ixadministration organisation as part of the decentralisation of
 administrative
power.

Asked how long he thought the Government would last, Gen Chavalit said three and
a half years should be enough and the rest of the time should be for election
preparations.

The former army chief who resigned to be in politics denied there was a rift
within his New Aspiration Party. But he admitted that there was a minor conflict
among party members which he said is quite normal for a political party.

He also denied the accusation that his aide Col Sornchai Montriwat interfered in
party affairs, saying that Col Sornchai only wanted to help every NAP MP.

A group of 50 senior interior officials led by Anant Anantakul, permanent
secretary for the interior, yesterday called on Gen Chavalit at his residence in
Nonthaburi to congratulate him on his new appointment.

Gen Chavalit said his priority task is to follow up royally-initiated
programmes, including the ones aimed at solving  environmental problems as
quickly as possible.

Traffic is another immediate problem that needs to be solved as soon as
possible, he said.

Three of four deputy interior ministers Den Tomeena, Suthas Ngern-muen and
Chamni Sakdiset also called on Gen Chavalit at his residence yesterday. The only
one who failed to show up was Chaowas Sudlabha.

Khunying Phankrua, Gen Chavalit's wife, said she is glad her husband has been
appointed interior minister and that she will help perform public relations
work, especially with people in the provinces.

She said she did not want to see a grand reception for her husband.

Asked if she thought Gen Chavalit would be in the position for long, she said
she would pray for him to be in the position long enough to make achievements.

CPP to seek to trim Senate THE Chart Pattana Party plans to lodge an urgent
motion calling for the establishment of an extraordinary House committee to look
into amendments to the Constitution which would reduce the number of senators.

The party member for Nakhon Ratchasima, Chamlong Krutkhunthod, said the number
of senators should be reduced from 270 to a maximum 120 and they should come
from more walks of life and be better qualified.

He also said senators should only filter laws.

The proposed committee, comprising MPs, senators, academics and members of the
public, should also review articles of the Constitution governing people's
personal freedoms and the general elections, he said.

Chart Pattana, which held a meeting of its MPs yesterday, decided the current
Constitution was not very democratic since it was written under the influence of
the National Peace-keeping Council.
 The party also plans to call on the Chuan Leekpai government to review the
Automobile Disaster Victims Act, to take effect on October 6, because users of
etan makeshift farm vehicles and motorcycles in rural areas will have to pay
cumbersome insurance premiums.

Mr Chamlong said these people had petitioned their MPs to help correct the
issue.
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