Newsgroups: bit.listserv.seasia-l
Date:         Sun, 26 Jul 1992 15:54:13 PDT
From:         "Indonesia Publications/Task Force" <apakabar@IGC.APC.ORG>
Subject:      TH: 'Coup' Remarks Storm
X-To:         seasia-l@msu.edu

/* Written  3:23 pm  Jul 26, 1992 by trin@tlaeng.enet.dec.com in
 cdp:soc.culture.th */
/* ---------- "Thai military says another coup pos" ---------- */
In article <BrMIsA.91M@news.cso.uiuc.edu>, ssg9328@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Samart
 Srijumnong) writes:
> See details in the following newsgroups:
> 	clari.news.gov.international
> 	clari.news.politics
> 	clari.news.demonstration
> 	clari.news.issues.civil_rights
> Subject: Thai military chief says another coup possible after elections
> Date: Tue, 14 Jul 92 8:17:33 PDT
> Lines: 39

Quoted in parts from Bangkok Post, July 17

<headline>PM: Coup an act of treason
<subhead>Chuan: Do the deed and pay the price

  A coup d'etat would be rejected by the public as an act of treason against
the country and the throne, Prime Minister Anand Panyarachun said yesterday.
  His comments follow Supreme Commander ACM Kaset Rojananil's suggestion on
Tuesday that the military might stage another coup.
  "I don't think a coup is acceptable in the eyes of the people now. It
would go against the feeling of the majority of people," he told reporters
at Government House when asked about ACM Kaset's remarks.
  "I am sure a majority of people would see coup d'etat as treason against
the country and the throne," Mr Anand said.
  ....
  Democrat Party leader Chuan Leekpai warned that execution is the penalty
facing those staging a coup if they fail to seize the power.
  Responding to ACM Kaset comment that if politicians are "lousy" another
coup by the military cannot be ruled out, Mr Chuan said:
  "Coup carry a penalty of execution. I think political problem are better
solved by the law.
  "The problem is that senior figures in the Armed Forces said something
that they should not have said. This makes people frustrated and give bad
image to the country. Things like that (a coup) should not be talked about."
  Mr Chuan agreed with a call by Permanent Secretary of Defence Gen Wanchai
Ruangtrakul's call for all graduates of Chulachomklao Military Academy not
to take part in any coup attempts. Mr Chuan believes senior military
officers know what should or should not be done.
  "If anyone fails in a coup the penalty is execution. Therefore, if
politicians are bad there are already laws to take action against them. We
should not stage coups to solve problems. That won't solve the problems but
will create more problems instead."
  ....
[remaining text of the article omitted]

<headline>Kaset backpedals on coup remark

  Supreme Commander Kaset Rojananil yesterday attempted to soften public
backlash against his coup statement, saying he did not mean it to sound the
way it was quoted.
  ....
  "The mass media must help because I did not think that way when I gave the
interview," he said.
  He did not, however, elaborate on what he had in mind when he made the
coup statement, saying he will never again comment on the issue.
  ACM Kaset's controversial statement was made on Tuesday in response to
reporters' questions about a circular issued by Permanent Secretary for
Defence Wanchai Ruangtrakul to the rank and file in the military, urging
them not to stage a coup and to help restore the honour and image of the
Armed Forces.
  Although ACM Kaset then stated that soldiers had no intention of seizing
power again, he did not rule out the possibility of another coup.
  "If the country faces an emergency or something catastrophic happens,
which institution will rise to the task? No one but the military.
  "There are many ways of solving the country's problems. Parliament is one
way. But if other ways fail. the last resort would be for the military to
step in. How can we sit idle and see the country collapse?
  "We have always realised what a soldier's role is. I can assure you that
the Army, they Nay [sic] and the Air Force understand well what Gen Wanchai
said," ACM Kaset was quoted as saying.
  Asked if he meant that a coup was possible after the election if the
political situation remains shaky, ACM Kaset said he did not think so.
  ....
[remaining text of the article omitted]
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