Newsgroups: bit.listserv.seasia-l
Date:         Tue, 7 Apr 1992 18:05:07 PDT
From:         "Indonesia Publications/Task Force" <apakabar@IGC.ORG>
Subject:      Suchinda's Ascent
X-To:         seasia-l@msu.edu

   UPI, April 7 - Gen. Suchinda Kraprayoon, Thailand's 19th prime minister,
rose to power in the traditional Thai way -- by coup d'etat and by controlling
and nurturing the military. He can also thank the weakness of civilian
political parties.
   The polished, low-key army commander was set on the road to
government leadership as far back as 1958 when he became the leader of
Class 5 of the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy.
   "He is smart, careful and thinks everything out in advance," said a
military associate. "He is not like some of our military men who kill
themselves by talking too much."
   Under Suchinda's leadership, Class 5 became the basis of the
strongest faction in the military, commanding the army, the air force
and most other key military positions.
   That put him in position to seize power in the Feb. 23, 1991 coup
d'etat, but it was his political craft and caution that led him to put a
non-military technocrat in as interim prime minister.
   Suchinda demonstrated his deft political touch after the coup when he
rescinded censorship orders by others in his coup group.
   He also impressed business leaders with self-deprecating humor and
assurances that he would do nothing to hurt the economy.
   His appointment of Anand Panyarachun, a respected diplomat and
businessmen, as interim prime minister also earned him marks for
pragmatism.
   Suchinda's only public embarrassment came this year when his wife
reprimanded him in front of fellow officers for accepting a cuddle from
a sexy singer at a Class 5 party.
   Born in Bangkok on Aug. 6, 1933, Suchinda was the son of a station
manager on the state railway and the daughter of a Chinese immigrant.
   Suchinda first studied medicine at Chulalongkorn University before
switching to the military academy where he was considered one of the
brightest in his class.
   After graduation he rose rapidly, gaining initial expertise in
artillery.
   He studied at Fort Leavenworth in the United States and later became
a military attache in Washington.
   As leader of Class 5, Suchinda built up the group into a cohesive
political force to counter the politically active "Young Turks" faction,
made up of Class 7 members.
   The Young Turks were instrumental in putting Gen. Kriangsak Chomanan
into office as prime minister in 1977 and then replacing him in early
1980 with Gen. Prem Tinsulanonda.
   It was the troops led by Suchinda's classmates, however, that kept
Prem in power by fending off coup attempts in 1981 and 1985 by
disaffected elements of the Young Turks.
   After the 1981 coup and the eclipse of the Young Turks, Suchinda rose
from the post of division chief of intelligence, to the post of
assistant chief-of-staff of the army.
   He continued to receive promotions as a supporter of Army Commander-
in-Chief Gen. Chavalit Yongchaiyudh who had won Class 5 support by
promising to retire early so that Suchinda could succeed him.
   That came in 1990, when Chavalit resigned to become deputy prime
minister and then form his own political party.
   By then a civilian, Prime Minister Chatichai Choonhavan, was prime
minister and soon clashed with the military.
   In February, 1991, with military leaders fearing Chatichai planned to
replace them, the heads of all three military forces arrested the
elected premier and took over the government.
   Suchinda promised a quick return to a form of democracy that would
avoid the corruption seen under Chatichai.
   Suchinda's final moves to power were well-planned.
   A military-appointed legislature paved the way by passing a
constitution that allowed the coup group to select the prime minister,
who did not have to be an elected member of Parliament. It also
established a Senate appointed by the coup group which would be able to
support or oppose any government in a vote of no-confidence.
   The military then backed the formation of a well-financed new party
which won more seats in Parliament than any other party.
   When the party leader, Narong Wongwan, became tarnished by U.S.
statements that he was suspected of involvement in narcotics
trafficking, Suchinda was ready to step in.
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