From: kamol@ipied.tu.ac.TH (Kamol Hengkietisak)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai
Subject: Sept 30: Chavalit gets tough with death threat
Date: 1 Oct 1992 12:57:49 +1000
Organization: Mail/News gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: munnari.oz.au


Chavalit gets tough with death threats
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.