Posted on 09/19/2006 10:34:30 PM PDT by jdm
BANGKOK: General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, the leader of the coup attempt in Thailand, is the first Muslim to head the Buddhist nation's army and is known to be close the country's revered king Sonthi, 59, a decorated combat veteran, had publicly clashed with Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra over security policy in the run-up to Tuesday's military takeover in Bangkok.
His appointment last year as army commander-in-Chief was widely seen as a bid by the government to end a violent Islamic insurgency in the Muslim-majority South. Muslims make up just four percent of the kingdom's population.
Sonthi's supporters said at the time that he could help counter the impression that the government discriminates against Muslims. He had advocated talks with militants as a way out of the violence that has killed more than 1,400 people since January 2004, but was rebuffed by the government, which publicly quashed any hopes for negotiations.
Sonthi graduated from Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy in 1969 and was commissioned to the royal army infantry corps, before going on to lead several top units, including the elite special warfare command.
More recently he became embroiled in the kingdom's political deadlock, acting at Times as an unofficial voice for Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej in the crisis, which has gripped the country for most of the year.
Sonthi let it be known publicly that king was upset at the continued bickering.
No smartguy.
I know nothing.
Actually.
Don't bother further as you seem only to respond with mis-direction.
Granted the large number of Malaysians I know are not Muslim but I get the feeling as a country they are more interested in becoming rich than blowing stuff up.
I do not get that impressions from the Indonesians I know who have been beaten and chased from their homes and country because they are not muslim.
Indonesia has the population and the population are angry - a real breeding ground for terrorism.
The Malay authorities have at least taken action against Madrassas etc.
Ok.
Regarding the nonsense in the South the Maylay muzlimnazis are the key / conduit. There is very little wealth in the southern area so that funding/support comes from Malaysia.
This is not rocket science.
I don't know any Indonesians and am not aware of any appreciable public anti-western nazi behaviour.
I travel to SE Asia a few times a year but I can't say I'm as in tune with the political goings-on there.
And I'm certainly not the expert in Asian political activity that HongKong ExPat is!!!
I am under the impression the Indonesian elite is more interested in furthering ASEAN economic growth. We just don't have any mass anti-western rallys from Indonesia broadcast here.
Who knows where this will all end?
There was some really interesting stuff happening in Indonesia when they published Playboy there (they did two issues before mass public protests and detah threats put the magazine to bed). They are also demonstrating for Sharia law and many other things.
It all put me off visiting really!
I think there is a poster here (jakartaexpat?) who would be more knowledgable than me on the situation on the ground though.
I have lived here in Thailand since 1992 and have been visiting since 1976. My take on the situation is simple. General Sondhi is Thai. He has proven his worth in actual battle in Vietnam and in both the north and the south during the communist insurgencies. He is not one to mess around with.
Most of the Muslims in the south belong to the Sufi sect. A friend once told me as I was heading off to Sufi land of Xinjiang Province in China that he Sufis make the Buddhists look like warmongers. I have found this to be true as I have visited the South a few times.
The problem in the south is Al Qaeda and Islamic Jihad. These are imported terrorists and they, along with their recruits, have brought the war to Thailand. The democratic countries of the world are at war with these people.
What I fear most is that a bomb will go off further north and disrupt the money from tourism in Thailand. The Thais will not put up with that. The Thais, although a wonderfully relaxed and friendly people, can be the most vindictive people in the world when forced. The Thais will not hesitate to use force to insure their economic well being. We are talking about severe force here.
Thaksin is toast. My wife attended some of the opposition rallies. These were mainstream Bangkokians who understand democracy and cherish their voting power. Thaksin continually used government funds to buy votes up country. He is the most corrupt human in Thailand and could very well be one of the top five most corrupt humans on the planet. He never once had Thailand's welfare in mind. He governed only for himself and his family.
This is the only time in my life where I felt a coup (I have had the pleasure of watching and living through four worldwide) was necessary as Thaksin had twisted and cajoled the entire poltical structure in his favor. This is like the Palistinian democracy. Elections do not a democracy make. Those elected must believe in democracy as well. To Thaksin (and you can look this up) democracy was a Rolls Royce. Why give a Rolls Royce to dumb farmers when a Toyota pickup would do? That, for me, pretty well sums up Thaksin Shinwatra.
Wow, thanks for the update, and welcome to Free Republic! I have been reading the blogs and your view seems to be widely shared by other locals and expats.
Why give a Rolls Royce to dumb farmers when a Toyota pickup would do? That, for me, pretty well sums up Thaksin Shinwatra.
___________________________________________________________
I heard at the last election he gave some farmers cows and simply had 500 baht (US$12) notes handed out to people who voted for his party.
You found nail
You found head.
And have hammered it down.
Though I live in the States, I'm in Asia (HK, Taipei, Bkk is the regular cycle) 3 times a year for the past 3 years.
Gen Sondhi is a good man. A proven Soldier/Leader. He is a King's man. And he is a Thai foremost...Muslim second.
I arrive in early Oct (Don Muang) and leave around the 18th. Am I going to see "Suvanapoom" on my flight out or will it wait til my next trip?
Am I going to go
"..the last election he gave some farmers cows and simply had 500 baht"
Same thing -in principle- will happen here in November.
Sigh.
Read more about this news here!
http://www.faithfreedom.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=28756&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0&sid=ac17168a307784bf0929183e9d11218f
Thaksin is a threat to Thai democracy. And this coup will gave back real-democracy soon. General Sondhi is not the supreme leader of this coup and he a trustworthy nominally Muslim. He's not Taqiyya(kit man). Don't panic!
And please don't support Thaksin, this guy is ally with Burmese government!!!!!
Until more information is available, most nonThai-informed's stance should be neutral.
They are quite different countries actually. Malaysia is far more advanced and a lot less "explosive".
CONSIDERING WHO WAS ITS FORMER PRESIDENT....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahathir_Mohamad
(...)Mahathir is regarded by many, especially in the West, as an anti-Semite. In 1984, his government banned the performance of works by the Jewish composer Ernest Bloch, during a visit by the New York Philharmonic, specifically because of Bloch's religion. The Orchestra responded by refusing to play in Malaysia [5].
In 1997, during the financial crisis, he attributed the collapse of the Malaysian ringgit to a conspiracy of Jews against a prosperous Muslim state: "The Jews robbed the Palestinians of everything, but in Malaysia they could not do so, hence they do this, depress the ringgit." Under strong international criticism, he issued a partial retraction, but not in Malay-language media sources (...)
Elections were coming up very soon. Probably the real reason for this coup rather than let them go ahead is to strip Taksin of a billion (US$, that is) or three.
Dhimmi! DOn't you know they are all evil Borg mind creatures and we must build gas chambers to perform our Final Solution on the Islamic Question??
DOn't you know ANYTHING? OR are you one of THEM?!
*cue spooky music*
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