Bangkok Post : Gen Sonthi to enter politics

Gen Sonthi to enter politics

Published: 10/09/2009 at 10:19 AM
Online news: Breakingnews

Former army chief and leader of the Sept 19, 2006 coup Gen Sonthi Boonyaratkalin confirmed on Thursday morning that he is interested in getting involved in politics.

Gen Sonthi is on a visit to Islamic leaders in Phuket and Phang Nga during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

The former chairman of the coup-makers' Council for National Security said he would not set up his own political party but would join a political camp that has policies and political ideology he agrees with.

“The country is now facing the problem of social division and thus I want to join a political party that is impartial. It must be a party that the people can rely on,” Gen Sonthi said. One of his major aims was national reconciliation.

Asked about charter amendments, Gen Sonthi said he agreed that articles in the constitution that cause problems or are obstacles to the government in the performance of its duty should be altered.

“But a referendum on the changes must be held, to seek opinions from the general public.

''The people must be allowed to take part in any change made to the country’s supreme law.”

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Steve

Discussion 6 : 12/09/2009 at 09:08 AM6
The headline should of course read "Gen Sonthi to re-enter politics" - what else was his coup in 2006 but a political act?

Does anyone doubt that everything we are seeing now tracks back directly to the events of 19 September 2006? Fifteen months of get-nowhere limbo that solved – let alone achieved – nothing. One possible saving grace: the military may have finally realised that staging a coup is the childsplay bit – trying to actually manage running the whole Thai machine is very much a game for grown-ups.

One last thought: the good general is quoted/translated as saying “I want to join a political party that is impartial”. In English, an impartial party is a perfect (and obvious) contradiction in terms – and thus totally absurd; is it the same in Thai?
RicefieldRadio

Discussion 5 : 11/09/2009 at 12:01 AM5
piya - Interesting theory but can the guy who went to Oxford and achieved 1st class honours and had a decent record and an extensive knowledge in Economics and energy.

Can that guy tell the difference between a "V" and a "L" shaped recovery? It appears not to be the case.
kunBA

Discussion 4 : 10/09/2009 at 01:42 PM4
I sure he gonna join PAD party. i don't many countries, that Military join the politic, and have so many coupes like Thailand. bad democracy .....
piya

Discussion 3 : 10/09/2009 at 12:25 PM3
But several of the ministers asigned by the army had very good records, and were well educated. For example one guy went to Oxford and LSE. He achieved 1st class honours in both colleges. At the same time he had a decent record and an extensive knowledge in Economics and energy. He also dared to do things people hated, like completely eliminating the energy debt(resulted in short run higher fuel prices) He also boldly laid plans for nuclear energy, controversial policy but the only reliable source of power that can match the increasing demand for electricity in the short run.
OMG

Discussion 2 : 10/09/2009 at 11:23 AM2
Didn't this fella come up with the constitution that is causing all these problems these days?

"National reconcilation"....what a joke for it to come out of the mouth of a coup leader....
RicefieldRadio

Discussion 1 : 10/09/2009 at 10:35 AM1
"ask for opinions from the general public." A strange view from a guy who told us all what to do and what not to do for a year under marshal law. Ask for opinions, well mine is he botched a coup with a bunch of incompetent military types who had no idea about the world or the economy and plunged Thailand into more problems than we already had for many years. My opinion is he should retire or maybe go into exile in Burma where they share the same views on democracy as the good general.