Legislation prepared for PM to suspend commanders suspected of hatching coups

By Thai Newsroom Reporters

IN AN UNPRECEDENTED MOVE TO deter future coup attempts, legislation has been prepared to empower a Prime Minister to suspend any military commanders from duty if suspected of hatching one.

The Defence Council, chaired by Pheu Thai-attached Defence Minister Suthin Khlangsang, has endorsed legislation to bestow the Prime Minister with the sole authority to immediately suspend any army, navy or air force officers at any ranks or in any positions from duty, given suspicion that those military officers might possibly be mapping out a coup with use of force to overthrow an elected government and tear up the constitution, said Jamnong Chaimongkol, assistant to the civilian defence minister.

The Prime Minister’s legal power to counter future coup attempts is yet to be endorsed in advance by his cabinet of ministers in accordance with the legislation steered by the ruling Pheu Thai after 13 coups had successfully occurred in Thailand since 1933 with the latest one orchestrated in 2014 by army chief-turned-prime minister/now privy councillor/de facto Ruam Thai Sang Chart boss Prayut Chan-o-cha.

The unprecedented bill, which aside from the necessity of being endorsed by the Pheu Thai-led cabinet of ministers also needs the approval of lawmakers to be turned into law, is primarily designed to preclude a coup attempt which might possibly otherwise be orchestrated by chiefs of the armed services as had been the case of the Prayut coup.

Army chief Gen. Charoenchai Hinthao, navy chief Adm. Adung Pan-iam and air force chief ACM Panpakdee Pattanakul remained tightlipped during yesterday’s deliberation by the Defence Council on the anti-coup bill, Jamnong said.

Lawmakers have earlier pushed for more severe legal penalties and extended jail terms against military commanders who may have attempted coups for which they would have been formally denounced as “rebels” and been denied a subsequent pardon.

Nonetheless, most of those who had successfully orchestrated coups over the past decades had promptly managed to grant a post-coup pardon to keep themselves immune to retroactive legal penalties as had been the latest case of the Prayut coup.

The Defence Council has also approved the Ministry of Defence’s regulations to the extent that army colonels, navy captains and air force captains be considered for promotion as army generals, navy admirals and air force marshals respectively on condition that none be formally charged with drugs or human trafficking or deteriorating natural resources or deal in business with any agencies attached to the Ministry of Defence or be under investigation for disciplinary or criminal charges.

Suthin is largely anticipated to lose his defence portfolio by the end of this month and be replaced by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin who may eventually assume it in concurrent fashion.

CAPTION:

Soldiers rapidly taking control in Bangkok during Thailand’s last coup in 2014. Top: Reuters and published by BBC, Front Page photo: Getty Images and published by BBC

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