4 replies to this topic

[Harold]

Less than 24 hours after PM Abhisit appeared on TV to say General Anupong was replacing Suthep as the head of CRES, this announceement was just made:

"Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban is still in charge as the head of the Centre for the Resolution of Emergency Situations, CRES spokesman Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd affirmed on Saturday afternoon.

Army chief Anupong Paojinda was authorized by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to take charge only in ordering the use of forces to ensure peace and order in case of necessity, Col Sansern stated.The authorisation was aimed at cutting short of the command line to prevent and encounter with the terrorists trying to incite violence, he added.

Mr Suthep, who is in charge of security affairs, will be the person to set up policy, oversee operation plans and beheld responsible for the CRES achievement, the CRES spokesman said.Col Sansern’s confirmation came after most local dailies reported this morning that Gen Anupong would replace Mr Suthep as head of the CRES. They said Mr Suthep’s removal came after yesterday’s botched attempt to arrest red-shirt leaders at SC Park hotel in Bangkok."

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/17...ntrols-the-cres

[Haloi]

As others have observed before, they don't call him PM Opposite for no reason.

[Hedda]

It's interesting that the Nation has yet to run the latest news about Anupong not replacing Suthep, even though the Bangkok Post bulletin was issued about 4 hours ago.

This is still the Nation's lead story on the internet:

"Army chief Anupong Paochinda will replace Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban as head of the state-of-emergency operations, in what seems to be a major gamble by besieged Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

The abrupt change followed an embarrassing incident yesterday morning when police commandos allowed red-shirt leaders staying at the SC Park Hotel to slip through their fingers. However, in a national address in the evening, Abhisit insisted that the change in the line of command had to do with what has become a new priority - terrorist threats.

Anupong apparently had been aware of the restructuring of the state-of-emergency command structure, as in the afternoon he called a meeting of top military officials - from the ranks of major-general and up - on Monday."

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/2010/...e-30127322.html

[Morgan]

[attachmentid=777] Don't laugh but the Bangkok Post is running both stories along side each other. The left column headline is: The ARMY IS IN CHARGE, with the picture at the left and this opening:

"Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has removed his deputy Suthep Thaugsuban (rear in this recent photo) as security czar, and handed full authority to an apparently reluctant army chief Anupong Paojinda.

The counter-version of the same story posted above, that Suthep is still in charge, is listed under Bulletins.

Only in Thailand.

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[Dick]

Regardless of what the government controlled media say, My impression is that this government is operating from day to day, maybe hour to hour. There are so many forces pulling Abhisit in different directions that he probably has no idea what to do next - or whether what he decides will be implemented by anyone. The police seem to have evaporated as a force for law and order and the army has got so many watermelons (red shirt sympathizers) in its ranks that the generals who command units with lots of conscripts aren't sure they can control the troops if serious fighting breaks out. On top of the whole thing, and the scariest of them all, there are the reactionaries who think that ordering the army to kill people is justified if it's to defend what they call "enemies of the monarchy."