There is more than a little irony in the battle between the defence minister and a permanent secretary over the annual military retirement and shuffle.
Gen Sathian Phoemthongin has appealed to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra over the issue. He has detailed his battle of wills and authority with Defence Minister Sukumpol Suwanatat over who will succeed him on Oct 1.
In effect, Gen Sathian wants the prime minister to interfere to back his strong contention that the government has no right to interfere. But Ms Yingluck has made it clear that she will leave the issue for the Defence Council and the defence minister to decide.
The battle between the two military men is public confirmation of one of the facts of Thai politics. The armed forces continue to reject civilian, government control. Oct 1 marks the day that all officers who are 60 years old move out. The resulting upward surge of senior general-officer ranks is often contentious. The contest between Gen Sathian and ACM Sukumpol could become a classic.
The story background, briefly, is that both men want their favourite officer to be promoted to replace Gen Sathian, who is retiring and now temporarily transferred to the Defence Ministry's Office. Gen Sathian has chosen Gen Chatree Thatti, who is currently deputy permanent secretary for defence. Gen Sathian's argument, which he wants to make personally to the prime minister, is that Gen Chatree has the rank and seniority that should be rewarded by promotion.
ACM Sukumpol wants to promote an assistant to the army commander, Gen Thanongsak Apirakyothin. The reason, according to Gen Sathian, is that Gen Thanongsak is personally loyal to the defence minister. ACM Sukumpol has not disputed this analysis. The defence minister must sign off on the reshuffle list after the go-ahead of the Defence Council and pass it to the prime minister for final approval. ACM Sukumpol stated he will change any listing from Gen Chatree to Gen Thanongsak _ and thus Gen Sathian's direct appeal, through the media, to Ms Yingluck.
Those who have followed this story carefully note a few items never mentioned. Neither of the feuding general officers has claimed that his candidate is the best qualified to be the new permanent secretary. Gen Sathian says Gen Chatree is a long-serving officer, while ACM Sukumpol baldly wants a close ally.
Gen Sathian, meanwhile, seems to ignore the rigid chain of command in place. He protests the "interference" of the defence minister in the military reshuffle. In the next breath, he demands that the defence minister's boss interfere directly in the military reshuffle. He is appealing, in fact, for greater democracy, where military officers serve at the pleasure of the government, and are subject to its orders.
In fact, at all military ranks, but particularly at the very top, the nation deserves the best military leadership, not the men with the best personal and political connections. The yearly sight of crony politics in the October promotion lists is an unpleasant confirmation that the men in the top ranks are feathering their own and each others' nests.
It also confirms that the military is, in fact, incapable of attending to so-called internal matters. By battling with one cabinet minister and appealing to the prime minister herself, Gen Sathian shows _ in fact demands _ that so-called "interference" by the government is necessary.