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Army chief recently said coup would be `impossible'

Thailand's army Commander-General Sondhi Boonyaratkalin smiles at reporters in Bangkok yesterday. The army general said that a post-coup interim government would retain power for no more than one year. PHOTO: AP

Thai army Commander-General Sondhi Boonyaratkalin said early this year that military coups were "a thing of the past" and that political problems should be solved by politicians.

But yesterday, after ousting Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Sondhi said the overthrow was needed to end Thailand's long-running political conflict and heal growing divisions in society.

Thaksin's government elevated Sondhi to the country's top military job last year, hoping he might help douse a bloody Islamic insurgency in the south because of his religious and military background.

Sondhi, 59, the son of a military civil servant, was the first Muslim army commander in Buddhist-dominated Thailand. In contrast with Thaksin, he advocated a peaceful approach to the separatist insurgency, recently calling for negotiations with the rebels rather than military confrontation.

Thaksin's iron-fisted policy in the mostly Muslim provinces of the deep south had failed to halt the violence, in which more than 1,700 have died since early 2004 in almost daily shootings, bombings and beheadings.

Vietnam veteran

Sondhi was seen as bringing unique qualities to his job. As a former head of the special warfare command, he was considered especially suited to deal with counterinsurgency problems. That he served with Thai forces in the Vietnam War gave him added credibility.

"I will make the Royal Thai Army into the army of the people, and will make soldiers the beloved soldiers of the people," Sondhi said at his appointment. "We already have more than enough soldiers in the [southern] region, but we need tangible results from them."

When massive anti-Thaksin demonstrations earlier this year threatened to erupt into violence, Sondhi kept his distance and quashed coup rumors.

"Military coups are a thing of the past," he said, echoing comments from other top military officers. "Political troubles should be resolved by politicians."

As recently as last week, amid growing tensions in the wake of an alleged assassination plot against the now-ousted Thaksin, Sondhi denied any coup was in the works.

"Has the situation gone to that point? No. There is still a way to go by democratic means," he said. "We should stop talking about it. It is impossible."

It's still unclear exactly what had triggered Sondhi's move on Tuesday.

Yesterday, after the coup, he said the overthrow was needed "in order to resolve the conflict and bring back normalcy and harmony among people."

"We would like to reaffirm that we don't have any intention to rule the country and will return power to the Thai people as soon as possible," he said, flanked by the three armed forces chiefs and the head of the national police force.

Close to the king

Sondhi is thought to be close to Thailand's revered monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who has expressed unhappiness with Thaksin's administration.

"The situation in the country is a cause of great suffering for His Majesty," Sondhi said in May. "If there is anything I and the army can do for the country, I am ready to do it because I am a soldier under the king."
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