Council for National Security The Council for National Security ( ; ) or , in brief , CNS ( ) , formerly known as the Council for Democratic Reform ( ; ) or , in brief , CDR ( ) , also translated as the Council for Democratic Reform under the Constitutional Monarchy , was the name of the military regime that governed Thailand following the 2006 pronunciamiento ousting Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra . It was led by Army Commander General Sonthi Boonyaratglin , who claimed powers equivalent to Prime Minister , before appointing Surayud Chulanont as Prime Minister of Thailand . Under the CNS - drafted interim constitution , the Council continues to maintain considerable power , particularly over the drafting of a permanent constitution . The Council has come to an end by virtue of section 298 , paragraph 2 , of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand , Buddhist Era 2550 ( 2007 ) , which prescribes : " The National Security Council . . . shall vacate office en masse at the time when the Council of Ministers carrying out the administration of State affairs on the date of promulgation of this Constitution vacate office . " Name . The military junta that overthrew the government of Thaksin Shinawatra originally called itself the Council for Democratic Reform under the Constitutional Monarchy . This was originally translated in several ways in news reports , including On Thursday 21 of September , the junta spokesperson asked the local press to report its name in full ( with " . . . under the Constitutional Monarchy " ) , and noted that " The name is important in relaying a right message and its shortened version might be misleading " . Both before and after this , most news reports used a shorter name . The junta later changed its English name to simply " Council for Democratic Reform " claiming that the change was in order to remove misunderstanding and false interpretation about the role of the monarchy . Actual rationale was debatable . Article 34 of the 2006 Interim Constitution changed the name of the junta to the Council for National Security . The 2006 coup was followed by increased divisiveness in Thai society , leading to many more lese majeste cases despite the king ' s expressed wish that these be decreased . By late 2011 , the United Nations and United States and other western countries had expressed extreme concerns over the lese majeste laws and lack of protection of human rights in the kingdom . Membership and key positions . Sonthi received the appointment and blessing of king Bhumibol Adulyadej , who is quoted as saying , " So as to maintain peace and order in the nation , His Majesty the King has graciously granted a Royal Command appointing General Sonthi Boonyaratglin as Leader of the Council for Democratic Reform . The people is requested to remain calm while all public servants are to follow Orders issued by General Sonthi Boonyaratglin , henceforth onwards . " The junta consists of the leaders of all branches of the Thai military and police : A week after the coup , Sonthi ' s former classmate Gen Boonsrang Naimpradit was promoted from Deputy Supreme Commander to the post of Supreme Commander , replacing Ruangroj Mahasaranon . Junta Secretary General , Winai Phattiyakul , was promoted to the post of Permanent Secretary for Defence . Gen Sonthi also promoted his fellow classmates and lieutenants in the coup , 1st Army Region Commander Lt - Gen Anupong Paochinda and 3rd Army Region Commander Lt - Gen Saprang Kalayanamitr , to the post of Assistant Army Commander . On 22 September , the Council gave Police General Kowit Wattana absolute power over all police matters . He was also made Chair of a new National Police Commission , the membership of which had not yet been announced . The Commission will be assigned to amend the 2004 National Police Bill over the next year ; the Bill had been originally been approved by the elected Parliament . Under the pre - coup legal framework , the Premier had been responsible for Chairing the Commission . A later restructuring reflected power shifts among the junta , particularly an increase in the power of the army and a decrease in the power of the police and navy . Police chief Kowit Watana , who , after the coup , had reshuffle senior police personnel to weaken the power base of Thaksin Shinawatra , was demoted from junta Deputy Chief to merely a member . Navy Commander Admiral Sathiraphan Keyanond , who had been second in command of the junta , was also demoted to being merely a member . Political motivations and objectives . In a statement on 21 September , the Council stated its reasons for taking power , and gave a commitment to restore democratic government within one year . The statement described the coup as a “ brief intervention in order to restore peace , unity , and justice in the country . ” The reasons given for the coup were : The statement continued : “ The Council ’ s intervention has no other aim than to strengthen democracy through democratic reforms , including the holding of generally - accepted free and fair elections . Leaving the country under protracted political uncertainty , on the other hand , would eventually erode people ’ s trust and confidence in the very foundations of democracy . ” Decisions and future . The junta pledged to appoint a civilian government , step aside , reinstate human rights , hold elections within a year , and not change key Thaksin - government policies like universal healthcare and microcredit village funds . The junta later appointed retired General Surayud Chulanont as Premier , changed its name to the Council for National Security and institutionalized its power in the Interim Constitution , lifted their ban on political gatherings ( but only for " constructive debates " ) , and moved the date of elections to 17 months . The CNS spent the months after the coup finishing off the destruction of deposed Premier Thaksin Shinawatra . Timeline for establishment of civilian government . The Council ’ s statement included a timetable for the restoration of civilian government and elections . “ A provisional constitution will be in place within two weeks , and eventually a civilian government will be formed , ” it said . “ The mechanisms for democratic reform will soon be reinstated . A legislative body , responsible for legislation and the drafting of the new constitution , will be established . This process , which will lead to general elections , should be completed within one year . " See Thailand 2006 interim civilian government " Following the general election the junta would be dissolved and replaced by a Council of National Security " It ' s necessary to keep the council so that there is no loophole for the executive branch " , General Sonthi Boonyaratglin told AFP Removal from the civil service . The junta initiated the removal from the civil service of people appointed by the Thaksin government as well as Thaksin ' s former Class 10 classmates at the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School . Military officers to be transferred to inactive posts included assistant army chief Gen Pornchai Kranlert , First Army Corps commander Lt - Gen Jirasit Kesakomol , First Army Division chief Maj - Gen Prin Suwandhat , Commander of the First Army Area Lt General Anupong Paochinda , Maj General Prin Suwanathat , Lt General Jirasit Kesakomol , Maj General Ruangsak Thongdee , Maj General Sanit Phrommas , and Maj General Manas Paorik . General Lertrat Rattavanich , seen as close to the Thaksin government , was promoted to a ceremonial post of Defence Inspector General . Labor Ministry Permanent Secretary Somchai Wongsawat , brother - in - law of Thaksin Shinawatra , was arrested and is being detained on the second floor of the Army Headquarters building . Also transferred were 18 senior police officers which the junta claimed could pose a threat to national security if they were to remain in their current posts . These included Special Branch Police chief Pol Lt - Gen Thaworn Chanyim , Immigration Police chief Pol Lt - Gen Suwat Thamrongsrisakul , Region 4 chief Pol Lt - Gen Sathaporn Duangkaew , Central Investigation Bureau chief Pol Lt - Gen Montri Chamroon , Crime Suppression Division chief Pol Maj - Gen Winai Thongsong , 191 Police chief Pol Maj - Gen Sumeth Ruangsawat , Metropolitan Police Division 5 chief Pol Maj - Gen Kosin Hinthao , Metropolitan Police Division 7 chief Pol Maj - Gen Boonsong Panichattra , and Special Branch Police Division 3 chief Pol Maj - Gen Atthakrit Thareechat . Pol Maj - Gen Atthakrit Thareechat is currently providing security for Thaksin in London . Surasit Sangkhapong , director of the Government Lottery Office and an aide of Thaksin resigned to allow Auditor - General Jaruvan Maintaka to conduct an investigation into an allegation of irregularity . Governors of provinces seen as Thai Rak Thai political strongholds transferred to smaller provinces or appointed to the inactive posts in the Interior Ministry . This included the governors of Chiang Mai , Chiang Rai , Khon Kaen , Buri Ram , Phatthalung , Satun , Surin , Kamphaeng Phet , Sukhothai , and Samut Prakan . Interior Minister Aree Wongarya denied that the moves were politically motivated . However , the reshuffle was widely seen as an attempt to demote those with links to the deposed government . Interior Ministry permanent secretary Phongphayome Wasaphooti also noted that the transfers were done in order to " reduce the influences attached to their Thai Rak Thai - initiated CEO governorships . The transfers are aimed at enabling the [ Surayud ] government to function more easily . " Many senior government officials were transferred by the junta " for the sake of achieving reconciliation " , meaning that they were alleged to have had links to the deposed regime . 10 senior officials at the National Park , Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department were transferred . Appointment of advisors . The junta ordered 58 prominent civilians to serve as its advisers . However , most of the appointees denied any knowledge of the appointments , with some saying they couldn ' t serve . " I have said that the coup is wrong , how can I serve as its advisory board ? " asked Chaiwat Satha - anand of the Faculty of Political Science of Chulalongkorn University . Pratheep Ungsongtham Hata , who was appointed to the reconciliation panel , also boycotted the CDR ' s advisory board , noting that as a democracy advocate , she could not work with the CDR , which took by unconstitutional means . Pibhob Dhongchai , a leader of the defunct anti - Thaksin People ' s Alliance for Democracy , said he could not participate in the reconciliation panel because he was a member of the National Economic and Social Advisory Council , and already had a channel to advise the government . Pasuk Pongpaichit , an anti - Thaksin economist who had also been appointed , denied that she could not serve as an advisor , using as her excuse an impending extended trip to Japan . When asked by the press why the junta had not informed the appointees of their appointments , the CDR spokesman Lt - Gen Palangoon Klaharn said : " It is not necessary . Some matters are urgent . It is an honour to help the country . I believe that those who have been named will not reject the appointment because we haven ' t damaged their reputation . " Advisors were appointed in 4 key areas : Investigation of the deposed government . The junta assigned several agencies to investigate the deposed government . After less than a week , the Assets Examination Committee was dissolved and several of its members were incorporated into a new 12 - member committee with greater powers to freeze the assets of members of the Thaksin government accused of corruption . The new committee had a much wider scope that the original Committee , and was able to respond to the demands of Jaruvan Maintaka . The committee was empowered to investigate any projects or acts by members of the Thaksin government and others who were suspected of irregularities , including tax evasion . The chairman of the old committee , Sawat Chotephanich , was demoted in the new committee ; he later resigned , reportedly in protest . The remaining members of the new committee included several figures who had been publicly critical of the Thaksin government , including Kaewsan Atibhoti , Jaruvan Maintaka , Nam Yimyaem , and Sak Korsaengreung . Nam Yimyaem was later appointed chair of the committee . A separate decree ( No . 31 ) gave the NCCC the authority to freeze the assets of politicians who failed to report their financial status by a deadline or intentionally reported false information . Another decree ( No . 27 ) increased the penalty for political party executives whose parties had been ordered dissolved , from simply banning them from forming or becoming executives of a new party , to stripping them of their electoral rights for five years . Interim charter . The junta released a draft interim charter on 27 September 2006 , to much criticism . Structurally , the draft interim charter is similar to the 1991 Constitution , the 1976 Constitution , and the 1959 Charter , in that it sets up an extremely powerful executive branch which would appoint the entire legislature . The CDR , which would be transformed into a Council for National Security ( CNS ) , would appoint the head of the executive branch , the entire legislature , and the drafters of a permanent constitution . Criticism focused on the fact that : Military restructuring . Sonthi Boonyaratglin announced that the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre ( SBPAC ) and the Civilian - Police - Military Task Force ( CPM ) 43 would be revived . Sonthi said the Army - led multi - agency Southern Border Provinces Peace Building Command would be dissolved and its troops would come under the CPM 43 , which would operate in parallel with the SBPAC . The SBPAC and CPM 43 had been dissolved in mid - 2001 by former Premier Thaksin Shinawatra . Prior to that , CPM 43 was under the directive of the SBPAC . Sonthi also made himself head of the Internal Security Operations Command ( ISOC ) . Previously , the ISOC had been headed by the Prime Minister . The junta also extended for another three months the Thaksin government ' s emergency decree to combat the south Thailand insurgency . The emergency decree empowers state authorities to search and arrest suspected insurgents without warrants . Sonthi and other senior junta leaders flew to Chiang Mai on a Air Force C - 130 on 3 November 2006 to visit a prominent fortune - teller and perform a religious ceremony to ward off bad luck over their staging of the Sept 19 coup . State enterprise board appointments . Junta leaders appointed themselves to the Boards of Directors of several state enterprises . Human rights restrictions . The junta censored the media and the internet , enforced martial law , and established a 14 , 000 - strong military unit to control public protests . An interview with the late Nuamthong Phaiwan broadcast by television channel iTV came to an abrupt end after the Director of Army - owned Channel 5 called the station to warn them against the broadcast . Additional troops were dispatched to keep order at the station . The junta ' s fifth announcement authorized the Ministry of Information and Technology to block websites critical of the coup and web boards discussing the coup . Anonymous proxy servers through which Thai internet users could access a blocked webpage were also blocked , as were websites from BBC 1 , BBC 2 , CNN , Yahoo News , the Seattle Post - Intelligencer , The Age , Amazon . com , Amazon . co . uk , and Yale University Press containing articles about King Bhumibol Adulyadej . The junta maintained martial law after the coup , even though junta vice - chairman Chalit Phukbhasuk claimed that there were no intelligence reports of unusual activities by supporters of deposed Premier Thaksin . The junta was accused of intimidating Thai Rak Thai politicians and pressuring them to cease political activities . They also threatened that the party would be dissolved . The junta claimed that they were simply seeking cooperation from politicians . In late December 2006 , Surayud ' s Cabinet approved 556 million baht for the formation of a 14 , 000 - strong special operations force with a mandate to control anti - junta protests . The fund allocation came from a request by the CNS . The rapid deployment force began operations on 1 December 2006 . Surayud refused to explain why his Cabinet approved funding of the force after it had already started , which was contrary to PM ' s Office directives . Government spokesman Yongyuth Mayalarp promised that the force would be dissolved in 30 September 2007 , along with the CNS . The funds would be diverted from the Defense Ministry and Police Office , but if those two agencies lacked funding , they would be diverted from the government ' s reserve fund for emergency situations . Yongyuth revealed that no Cabinet members questioned the use of the fund . General Saprang Kallayanamit , assistant Secretary - General of the CNS , was appointed Commander of the force . In January , CNS secretary - general General Winai Phattiyakul , explicitly ordered media executives to prevent their employees from mentioning Thaksin and the Thai Rak Thai party . " If they don ' t listen , you can kick them out of your station or , if you can ' t use your judgment , I will use mine to help you run your station " , he said to 100 media executives . Drafting of a new constitution . The junta appointed a Constitution Drafting Committee and sponsored a leading anti - Thaksin critic , Prasong Soonsiri , to lead the Committee . Anti - protest units . In 27 December 2006 , it was revealed that the Cabinet had approved over half a billion baht worth of funding for a 14 , 000 - man secret anti - protest special operations force , of which General Saprang was Commander . The so - called CNS Special Operations Center , funded with 556 million baht diverted from the Defense Ministry , Police Office , and government emergency reserve fund , had been secretly established by the CNS on 1 December 2006 in order to crack down on anti - junta protestors . In May 2007 , it was revealed that the First Army Commander Prayuth Chan - ocha had been placed in charge of a secret army unit with a 319 . 1 million baht budget for mobilizing mass support for the junta . Lt . Gen . Prayuth claimed that he had acted in line with army policy , and that his activities were to serve communities , and not to seek political gain . Miscellaneous controversy . Two members of the CNS claiming to be junta secretary - general Winai Phattiyakul ' s close aids were arrested for trying to solicit 40 million baht for in return seat on the Cabinet . Winai denied knowing the two men . CNS leader Sonthi approved a 12 million baht top - secret budget for a public relations campaign to discredit Thaksin Shinawatra . The request for the money was submitted on 24 Jan 2007 . Chianchuang Kalayanamitr , younger brother of CNS Deputy Secretary - General Saprang Kalayanamitr , was hired as head of the publicity team . Politicians hired as part of the CNS campaign included Chat Pattana party leader Korn Dabbaransi , Democrats Korn Chatikavanij , Alongkorn Palabutr and Korbsak Sabavasu , Prapat Panya - chatraksa , a key Thai Rak Thai member who defected to the Chat Thai party , plus ex - senator Kraisak Choonhavan . Academics hired by the CNS included Wuttipong Piebjriya - wat , Sophon Supapong , Narong Phet - prasert , and Somkiat Osotspa . However , Sophon denied he had anything to do with the campaign . The CNS produced a 75 episode television documentary to promote its causes . The documentaries , titled " Phrungnee Tong Dee Kwa " ( Tomorrow Must Be Better ) , were reported to cost at least 20 million baht to produce and broadcast . General Anupong Phaochinda , assistant CNS secretary - general , defended the CNS from allegations of irregularities surrounding the documentaries . Prior to the Constitutional Tribunal ' s 20 May 2007 ruling on the dissolution of the Thai Rak Thai and Democrat Parties , the CNS sent tens of millions of SMS messages to mobile phone users throughout Thailand discouraging them from attending protests .