Stories tagged with junta
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Junta on its way out
The so-called Council for National Security (the CNS) had its final meeting on Tuesday, more than 16 months after the September 2006 coup d’état which saw Prime Minister Thaksin forced from office.
The CNS declared itself ‘out of business’ but also stated that its members will continue to discuss the ‘business of the armed forces’.
The final CNS meeting marked 490 days since the 2006 coup and the new 2007 constitution stated that the junta would be disbanded when a new government was formed; expected next week.
The Council for National Security spokesman, Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd, said ‘The military should not be involved in politics and politicians should not interfere with the military.’
He added, ‘We need a politically neutral person to be defense minister,’ and that the junta members had discussed who would be right for the job at the last meeting.
He went on to say that all members of the CNS, and particularly the army commander-in-chief, said that there will be no more coups.
In Tuesday's Bangkok Post, Chulalongkorn University political scientist Thitinan Pongsudhirak wrote that ‘The generals have proved unfit in their handling of Thailand.’
He also stated that the junta’s policies and leadership had been incompetent and that the overall administration had been inept.
Mr Thaksin was accused by the generals of corruption and of disrespect toward HM The King; charges which Thaksin denies. An anti-graft panel that was appointed has uncovered just the one case against him.
A brief history of Thailand
Posted by: Andrew on 23 Jan 2008, 11:42