Prem Tinsulanonda

Prem Tinsulanonda
เปรม ติณสูลานนท์

In office
March 3, 1980 – August 4, 1988
Preceded by Kriangsak Chomanan
Succeeded by Chatichai Choonhavan
Born August 26, 1920 (1920-08-26) (age 89)
Songkhla Province, Thailand
Nationality Thai
Religion Buddhism

General(ret.) Prem Tinsulanonda (Thai: เปรม ติณสูลานนท์, born August 26, 1920) is a retired Thai military officer who served as Prime Minister of Thailand from March 3, 1980 to August 4, 1988. He now serves as the Head of the Privy Council of the King of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej.

In the country's political crisis of 2004-05, He was accused by the coup-deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his supporters of being a mastermind of the 2006 coup.[1] as well as in the appointment of the post-coup legislature and Interim Government of Surayud Chulanont.[2] The military junta that overthrew the Thaksin government denied that Prem had any important political role.[3]

General Prem, as the Chief of the Privy Council, is at the forefront of promoting the king's ideologies and royal projects. He has always urged Thai society to follow the king's advice. He himself founded several welfare projects related to education, drug suppression, poverty, and national unity. He has also dealt personally with resolving the Islamic Southern Insurgency Turmoil. Prem remains an influential figure among the armed forces.

Contents

Education, military, and political career

Born in Songkhla Province, Prem attended Maha-Vajiravut Secondary School in Songkhla, and Suankularb Wittayalai School in Bangkok. In 1941 he entered the Royal Thai Army Academy (later renamed the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy). After rising in the military hierarchy, he entered politics in 1959, when he became a member of the Constitution Drafting Committee. In 1968-71 he was a Senator, in 1972-73 a Member of Parliament, and in 1976 became a member of the Advisory Council of Prime Minister Tanin Kraivixien. Under Prime Minister Kriangsak Chamanan, he was Deputy Interior Minister in 1977-78 and Minister of Defence in 1979-86. General Prem is also famous for initiating the negotiation with the members of the Communist Party of Thailand. Consequently the amnesty was declared, many communist cadres, ex-students, returned home. This helped to end the violent fighting between the government and communist guerrillas in 1980s.

Prime minister of Thailand

After the retirement of Kriangsak in 1980, Prem became the Prime Minister. He was also Minister of Defence until 1986. Prem led three administrations and often shifted coalition partners.[4]

  • 42nd Administration (March 12, 1980 - March 19, 1983)
    • 1st Cabinet (3 March 1980 - 11 March 1981)
      • Coalition partners: Social Action Party, Chart Thai, Democrat, Chart Prachachon and Siam Democrat
      • Major opposition: Prachakorn Thai
    • 2nd Prem Cabinet (11 Mar 1981- 8 Dec 1981)
      • Coalition Partners: Democrat, Chart Thai and a number of smaller parties including Siam Democrat, Ruam Thai and Social Democrat
      • Major opposition: Social Action and Prachakorn Thai
    • 3rd Prem Cabinet (9 Dec 1981-30 Apr 1983)
      • Coalition Partners: Social Action, Democrat, Chart Thai and a number of smaller parties
      • Major opposition: Prachkorn Thai
  • 43rd Administration (April 30, 1983 - August 5, 1986)
    • 4th Prem Cabinet (30 Apr 1983-11 Aug 1986)
      • Colatition partners: Social Action, Democrat, Prachakorn Thai and National Democrat (replaced by the Progressive party in Sep 1985)
      • Major opposition: Chart Thai
  • 44th Administration (August 5, 1986 - April 28, 1988)
    • 5th Prem Cabinet (11 August 1986-28 April 1988)
      • Coalition partners: Democrat, Chart Thai, Social Action, Rasadorn
      • Major opposition: Prachakorn Thai, United Democratic, Ruam Thai, Community Action, Progressive

Overcoming the coup attempts

During April 1–3, 1981, a group of army colonels, known as 'the Young Turks', launched a coup attempt in Bangkok. General Prem escaped arrest. He escorted the King and Queen to Nakhon Ratchasima, and began negotiating with the coup leaders. Finally on April 3, major leaders agreed to end the coup attempt, some were allowed to take refuge abroad.

Another coup attempt took place on September 9, 1985. Ironically, its leaders had been involved in the previous coup in 1981. This attempt became bloody as the rebel soldiers started firing at the government's information centers, killing two foreign reporters. The coup attempt was also supported by Ekayuth Anchanbutra, a businessman who had fled the country after Prem's government issued new legislation against financial crime. However by late afternoon, the rebel force surrendered to the government. Most of its leaders, including Ekayuth, fled abroad.

Assassination attempts

Prem was the target of assassination, at least 4 attempts, in 1982. According to the investigation, suspects arrested were military officers who were the 1981 coup's leaders, and said, former communist cadres, who opposed Prem's amnesty policy. This event became one of the pretexts claimed by the later coup leaders in 1991.

Negotiation with the communist insurgents

The communist insurgents in Thailand, mainly led by The Communist Party of Thailand, began its armed struggle in 1960s. After the crackdown of the student's rally at Thammasat University in October 1976, the communist activity in the countryside in the northeast of the country became vibrant as students fled to join with the party. In 1980s, Prem began changing his policy towards the communist insurgents. Previously Prem sent his men to China, persuading it to stop the support of the Thai communist party. China agreed. The Prem's new policy offered the amnesty to all insurgents, legally called 'the communist terrorists'. As a result, thousands of former students who fled to the jungle before, left the communist strongholds.[5]

Privy councilor and Statesman

After political unrest in 1988, Prem dissolved the parliament and called for general election. After the general election, leaders of winning political parties asked Prem to continue his premiership, but Prem refused. Consequently Chatchai Chunhawan, head of Chart Thai Party, was chosen to be the new prime minister. King Bhumibol eventually granted him 'the statesmanship' that year.

On 4 September 1998, he was appointed the head of the Privy Council of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, thus becoming the successor to Sanya Dharmasakti.

During the Black May, bloody political crisis in May 1992, Prem was said to play a crucial role in ending military crackdown of the demonstration, consulting with King Bhumibol to end violence and bloodshed.

Educational activities

Prem is actively involved in many charities, including the Prem Foundation, and established the Prem Tinsulanonda International School, which opened in August 2001 in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand. The school's campus covers 90 acres, and the student body numbers over 400, with more than 36 nationalities represented.

March 2006 blast: Prem-Thaksin antagonism

Amidst the tension between Thaksin and 'unconstitutional figure', on 9 March 2006, a small bomb exploded outside Prem's residence in Bangkok. Two people were slightly injured, including a passing British tourist. Police said the device had been hidden beneath a stone bench near to an unoccupied security booth at the entrance of the residence. The guards were inside the residence at the time. Three cars parked nearby were damaged by the blast. Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra denied being involved in the attack.[6][7] Prem's controversy with Thaksin's government was apparent from 2005, albeit the former had never mentioned Thaksin. Prem, an influential man over the armed forces, became a critic of the politician's influence in the promotion of the commanders. According to Thai way, the armed forces officers, seen as the public servants, should be free from the politician's influence. Apparently since Thaksin nominated his cousin, general Chaiyasith Shinawatra, as the chief of the army previously. Thaksin and his supported began reacting against what they called an 'out of constitutional' man meddling in the politics, opposing him.

Role in political crisis and 2006 coup

Prem found himself identified as a leading actor in the Thailand political crisis of 2005-2006. In a number of public lectures, he had fiercely criticized the attempts of politicians to tighten their grip on the army, urging the public to resist corruption and vested interests. Although he did not mention the name of that politician. Some media commentators inferred that Prem was criticizing Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and the ruling government.

In June 2006, Thaksin gave a controversial speech to officials blaming 'the intervention of an extra-constitutional power, or figure' who was seeking to damage his administration. This led to a perception among Thaksin's supporters that Prem was that figure, though Thaksin himself mentioned no names.

That is why, following the September 2006 military coup, that Thaksin supporters pointed the finger of blame at Prem whom they believed to be the mastermind behind the overthrow of the Thaksin Shinawatra government.[1] Prem played a role in the appointment of Surayud Chulanont, his former Army subordinate and another member of the King's Privy Council, as Premier, as well as in the appointment of Surayud's Cabinet and the Parliament. Critics claimed that the Parliament was full of "Prem's boys."[8][9][10]

In an interview published in early 2006, Prem again explained his vision of a distinctive Thai-style democracy in which the monarch remains the ultimate defender of the public interest, and retains control of the armed forces. Prem used an equestrian metaphor to describe the relative roles of Monarch, Prime Minister and the army: "In horse racing they have the stable and the owner of the stable owns the horse. The jockey comes and rides the horse during the race, but the jockey does not own the horse. It’s very easy [to comprehend]".[11]

The issue Prem's responsibility for the coup and the subsequent junta has been hotly contested. A Ruling Military Council spokesman stated that Prem was not behind the coup.[12] Thai police Lieutenant-General Theeradech Rodphot-hong, head of the Special Branch, cautioned that the any legal proceedings would be improper as these could involve the King in a political conflict. He also urged the activists to drop their campaign as it could create conflict within the country[13].

On July 22, 2007, thousands of protesters, mostly Thaksin's supporters, demonstrated in front of Prem's house, calling for him to resign. When the demonstration exploded into violence, the police cracked down and arrested several protest leaders, including an interim National Human Rights Commissioner and a former judge, both being former members of deposed prime minister Thaksin's political party.[14] Afterwards, junta chief Sonthi Boonyaratklin visited Prem to apologise for the protests on behalf of the government. A day later, Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, along with 34 members of his Cabinet, went to Prem's house to apologize to Prem for failing to ensure justice. Surayud accused the protestors of trying to bring down the highest institution of the country.[15]. Government spokesman Yongyuth Mayalap said Prem categorically denied the protestors' allegations that he was behind the military coup. According to Yongyuth, Prem said that the charges were repetitive, baseless and provocative.[16]

Prem is reportedly considering whether to take legal action against the pro-Thai Rak Thai United front for Democracy against Dictatorship for defamation. A source close to him said Gen Prem was compiling evidence and would soon decide whether to file defamation charges against nine key anti-coup figures[17]. Prem continues to wield considerable influence over the military. Interior Minister Aree Wongarya and his deputy, Banyat Chansena, held talks with Prem at his residence on 1 August 2007. During the meeting, Prem gave advice on resolving the South Thailand insurgency and on providing assistance for family members of the victims in accordance with the government’s Sarn Jai Thai Su Jai Tai campaign[18].

Prem and April 2009 protest of Thaksin's supporters

Before and during the mass protest of Thaksin's supporters, the UDD, Thaksin started mentioning the name of Prem publicly. The UDD leaders harshly blasted Prem of meddling in politics, calling him by using a term of 'ammatya', 'a royal advisor', or 'a noble', as a threat to democracy. However Prem has never responded to these attacks.

Until now, neither Thaksin nor his supporters have legally charged Prem as the mastermind of the 2006 coup. Prem, as the head of the royal Privy Council has a full Thai citizenship, without any immunity of 'lese-majeste' law. Therefore the cause of anti-Prem has been seen by several critics as a 'hidden agenda' of Thaksin Shinawatra and his supporters, the UDD, in defaming the king, or a kind of 'revolution'. The 'anti-monarchist' face of Thaksin and his supporters has then drew fierce critics, numbers of his opponents, among them is the PADs, or 'the Yellow Shirts'.

Royal decorations

Prem has received the following decorations and awards in the Honours System of Thailand:

References

  1. ^ a b Asia Sentinel, Could Thailand be Getting Ready to Repeat History?, 2 April 2007
  2. ^ Former Thai PM Prem Tinsulanonda had key role in coup - analysts
  3. ^ Bangkok Post, UDD aims to damage monarchy, 25 July 2007
  4. ^ Suchit Bunbongkarn, "The Military in Thai Politics, 1981-1986", published by the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 1987.
  5. ^ http://www.onwar.com/aced/chrono/c1900s/yr55/fthailand1959.htm
  6. ^ The Telegraph, British tourist injured in Bangkok bomb blast, 10 March 2006
  7. ^ Times Online, Thailand tourist alert after Bangkok bomb, 9 March 2006
  8. ^ The Australian, Thailand's post-coup cabinet unveiled, 9 October 2006
  9. ^ The Nation, NLA 'doesn' t represent' all of the people, 14 October 2006
  10. ^ The Nation, Assembly will not play a major role, 14 October 2006
  11. ^ Far Eastern Economic Review
  12. ^ Bangkok Post, CNS to take action against Prem's critics, April 2007
  13. ^ Asia Media Post, Petitioners cautioned that appeal improper, April 2007
  14. ^ Bangkok Post, Six protesters held, 23 July 2007
  15. ^ The Nation, PM says sorry to Prem over mob violence, July 2007
  16. ^ The Bangkok Post PM: UDD aims to damage monarchy, 25 July 2007
  17. ^ The Bangkok Post Prem may take UDD to court, July 26, 2007
  18. ^ Bangkok Post, Ministers talk to Prem on southern unrest, 1 August 2007

External links

Preceded by
Kriangsak Chomanan		 Prime Minister of Thailand
1980–1988		 Succeeded by
Chatichai Choonhavan

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