Surayud Chulanont

This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses.

General Surayud Chulanont (Thai: สุรยุทธ์ จุลานนท์, RTGS: Surayut Chulanon) is the current Prime Minister of Thailand and head of Thailand's Interim Government. He was a former Thai military officer, Army Commander, Supreme Commander, and Privy Councilor to King Bhumibol Adulyadej. He was appointed Premier on 1 October 2006 by Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, the head of a military junta that had overthrown the elected government of Thaksin Shinawatra less than 2 weeks earlier. He is married to Chitravadi Chulanont.

Family and education

Surayud came from a long line of military leaders. His maternal grandfather was Phraya Sri Sitthi Songkhram, a royalist leader during the failed Boworadej Rebellion. Surayud's father was Lt. Colonel Phayom Chulanont, a Royal Thai Army military officer who, as "Comrade Too Khamtan" (Thai: สหายตู้คำตัน, RTGS: sahai tu khamtan), became a member of the Central Committee Communist Party of Thailand and Chief of Staff of the People's Liberation Army of Thailand.^[1]

Surayud completed his early education at Saint Gabriel's College and Suankularb Wittayalai School in Bangkok. He graduated from the inaugural class of Armed Forces Preparatory Academy.

As a boy, Surayud's father left his family to go underground to join the Communists. Phayom explained his defection by citing corruption in the army and its inability to defend the powerless.^[2]

Surayud entered the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy (CRMA) and graduated from Class 12.

Military career

Early in his army career, Surayud served in several Army divisions including a light artillery unit, a paratrooper unit. He conducted operations against the Communist Party of Thailand (CPT) while his father was a leader of the CPT. From 1972 to 1978, he was an instructor at the Special Warfare School. He was a close aide to General Prem Tinsulanonda when Prem was appointed Army Commander and later Prime Minister of Thailand. Surayud was appointed Commander of the Special Warfare Command in 1992, where he was the commanding officer of Sonthi Boonratklin.^[3]

During Bloody May, the violent crackdown 1992 on anti-government protestors, Surayud's men were seen shooting protesters and dragging them through the bloody lobby of the Royal Hotel. He later claimed that he never gave orders for his soldiers to shoot.^[4] According to a later interview, "It convinced me that the army should never be involved in politics."^[2] Days later he told a national television audience that he deplored the loss of life and that he had not given any orders to shoot, an account that was never disputed.^[2] In 1994, he was appointed Commander of the 2nd Army Region.

Surayud was promoted to Army Commander in late 1998. At the time, his promotion was controversial, as Surayud had been promoted above the heads of several officers more senior to him. Surayud appointed several of his classmates from Class 12 of the CRMA to key lucrative positions. Among these were Lt Gen Sompong Maivichit, who he made head of Army controlled Channel 5 television station, replacing Gen Pang Malakul na Ayudhya, and Lt Gen Boonrod Somtap, who he promoted to a key subordinate position to replace Gen Charn Boonprasert.^[5] He also ended a policy of deporting Burmese refugees, especially ethnic Karens, back to Burma. "He's been a friend to us," said Pastor Robert Htway of the Karen Refugee Committee.^[2] Under his term, Thai soldiers took part in the United Nations Peace Keeping Force, assisting UN-PKF efforts in East Timor.

In March 2002, Surayud ordered one of Thailand's largest military operations in recent times, when Thai troops moved deep into Myanmar territory to destroy drug labs and military bases controlled by the United Wa State Army.^[6]

In 2003, after over 4 years as Army Commander, Surayud was promoted to the position of Supreme Commander, a loftier but less influential post, during the government of Thaksin Shinawatra. He was replaced as Army Commander by Somthad Attanan. His promotion was rumored to be the result of a conflict with the Prime Minister.^[2]

Privy Councilor

Upon his retirement from the Army, Surayud briefly joined the Buddhist monkhood. On 14 November 2003, King Bhumibol Adulyadej appointed Surayud to his Privy Council of personal advisors. From retirement, Surayud and Privy Council President Prem Tinsulanonda played a key role in the promotion of General Sonthi Boonratklin to the position of Army Commander.^[7][8]

Facing an escalating insurgency in the south of Thailand, Surayud urged the media to paint a more positive picture of the violence. "Truthful words that may not be beneficial should be avoided," noted Surayud to the Press Council of Thailand. He was contradicted by Deputy Prime Minister Chaturon Chaisang, who noted that he couldn't think of any news about the conflict in the South that could or should not be reported by the media.^[9]

In response to numerous claims made by anti-Thaksin activist Sondhi Limthongkul that his People's Alliance for Democracy was "fighting for the King", Surayud resonded by saying that "Recent references to the monarchy were inappropriate. The institution should not be involved in politics. Political disputes should be solved in a political way."^[10]

Sarayud was already considered a strong candidate for appointment as civilian prime minister premiership immediately after General Sonthi overthrew the government of Thaksin Shinawatra in a coup in 2006.^[8][11]. Indeed, Surayud was appointed as Prime Minister on 1 October 2006.

Environmental Policies

Surayud is chairman of the Khao Yai National Park Protection Foundation, and has led activities to help protect the environment.^[12]

Prime Minister of Thailand

Main article: Thailand 2006 interim civilian government

Surayud's appointment to the Premiership was confirmed by junta leader Sonthi Boonyaratkalin on the morning of Sunday 1 October 2006. Sonthi had a formal audience with King Bhumibol Adulyadej at 4 pm that day to nominate Surayud's name to the monarch.^[13][14] "Security and social unity" were cited by Sonthi as the key reasons for appointing Surayud.^[15]

Surayud announced that as Premier, he would "Focus on self-sufficiency, more than focusing on the GDP numbers. I will focus on the happiness of the people, more than the GDP."^[16] He also claimed that he would be "Friendly to every party, trying to receive information from every side and meeting people as much as possible. I will lead a government based on justice."^[4]

Popularity

The Surayud government's initial nation-wide approval rating in October 2006 stood at 60%, with 8% disapproving. By early November, this fell to 55% approving and 15% disapproving.^[17] For comparison, a nation-wide poll in July 2006 found that 49% of respondants would have voted for Thaksin Shinawatra in the cancelled October elections.^[18]

Drafting of a permanent constitution and elections

The junta's 2006 Interim Constitution authorized the junta to appoint a 2,000 person Nation Assembly which would select members to become candidates for a Constitution Drafting Assembly. From the onset of his appointment as Premier, Surayud Chulanont was urged by academics to override the junta's control of the constitution drafting process. Somchai Siripreechakul, Dean of Law at Chiang Mai University, urged Surayud to call a general election as soon as possible and hand the task of drafting a charter to an elected parliament.^[19] Banjerd Singkhaneti of Thammasat University noted of the constitution drafting process, "I think it will be a mess and the next constitution will be just that."^[20]

After the coup, the military junta had originaly promised to draft a permanent charter within eight months and to hold elections in October 2007. However, the Office Minister Thirapat Serirangsan later announced that it elections might not occur until one year and five months.^[21]

Cabinet appointments

Prem Tinsulanonda, President of the King's Privy Council, played a significant role in picking the members of Surayud's Cabinet. General Boonrawd Somtas, a former CDRMA classmate and longtime friend of Surayud, was appointed Defense Minister.^[22] former Interior Permanent Secretary Aree Wong-araya was appointed Interior Minister, former Energy Policy and Planning Office director Piyasvasti Amranand became Energy Minister, central bank governor Pridiyathorn Devakula became Finance Minister, and Bangkok Bank Chairman Kosit Panpiemras became Industry Minister. Michael Nelson of Chulalongkorn University noted that the Cabinet was dominated by bureaucrats and that "It's very strongly guided by military ideas combined with some technocrats, some people in economic areas and some former bureaucrats."^[23]

Key policies

Telecommunications

• The planned merger of state-telecom companies TOT and CAT.^[24]
• The cancellation of plans to list TOT, CAT, and Thai Post on the Stock Exchange of Thailand.^[25]

Culture

• The planned ban against all forms of advertising for alcoholic beverages.^[26]
• The banning of all "sexually-arousing dances" (locally called "coyote dances") during the Loy Kratong festival.^[27]

Public health

• Making the 30-baht universal healthcare program completely free.^[26] The Budget Bureau criticized the move.^[28]

Energy

• The indefinite delayal of the previous government's policy of converting all octane 95 gasoline sales to gasohol.^[29]
• The cancellation of state electricity company EGAT's guaranteed 50% share in all new power plant construction.^[30]
• The cancellation of plans to import hydroelectric power and natural gas from Myanmar.^[6]

Security and the southern insurrection

Tom Yam Kung

• An increase in military spending. Since 1999, military spending had remained stagnant at approximately $2 billion in 2000 dollars.^[31][32]
• Issuing a formal apology regarding the the Tak Bai incident.^[33]
• Revealing for the first time to the public that the insurgency was being finance by a network of restaurants and stalls selling Tom Yam Kung in Malaysia. Surayud claimed that the Tom Yam Kung network collected money from local businessmen through blackmail and demands for protection fees and channelled the sum to the separatists.^[34] Malaysian Deputy Security Minister Fu Ah Kiow described the revelation as "absolutely baseless," and "very imaginative."^[35]

Education

• The cancellation of Thailand's participation in the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) program.^[36]
• The cancellation of plans to install personal computers and broadband internet connections in every public and secondary school in Thailand.^[37]
• Forcing 430 prestigous schools across the country to accept half of their students from the the local neighborhood. All other schools would be required to accept all applicants; if applicants exceeded seats, a random draw would choose which applicants would be accepted.^[38]

Economy and agriculture

• A budget deficit of 147 billion Baht for fiscal year 2007. In contrast, the government had sustained budget surpluses from 2003 to 2006.^[39]
• Elimination of subsidies for rice farmers. The price of rice, set at 30% above market prices during the deposed Thaksin Shinawatra government, was dramatically lowered. It was claimed that the high price of rice seriously affected farmers and caused social burdens.^[40]
• The cancellation of the Million Cows project. Under the project, the government lent five million cows to one million farming families. The families were allowed to sell milk and calves for profit. The program was highly popular.^[41]

Human rights

• Censorship of broadcast television. An interview with the late Nuamthong Phaiwan broadcast by television channel iTV came to an abrupt end after the Director of Army-owned Channel 5 called the station to warn them against the broadcast.^[42] Additional troops were dispatched to keep order at the station.
• Changing the publically-listed state-enterprise media company MCOT's policy from focusing on monetary benefits to social benefits. This included the cancellation of the popular but controversial news talkshows "Kuy Kui Khao" and "Kob Nork Kala." MCOT's stock prices dropped 5.13% to an 11-month low as a result.^[43]
• The repeal of junta restrictions against organizing protests on 9 November 2006. However, martial law was not repealed at the time.^[44]

Other

• The granting of unprecedented salaries for the leaders of the military junta. Finance Minister Pridiyathorn Devakula claimed that it was consistant with King Bhumibol Adulyadej's self-sufficient economy philosophy and requested that reporters not ask him whether it was appropriate or not.^[45][46]
• Expanding Bangkok's mass transit rail network by 5 new routes, using the same amount as budgeted by the deposed Thaksin government.^[47]

Thaksin Shinawatra

Surayud warned deposed Premier Thaksin Shinawatra several times against returning to Thailand, calling his return "a threat".^[48] During a November 2006 trip to China for the ASEAN-China Summit, Surayud refused to meet Thaksin, who was also in China at the time.^[49] Surayud later denied Thaksin the opportunity to return to Thailand to contest in eventual elections, and said that the appropriate time for him to return would be "after a year," when a newly elected government was already in place.^[50]

References

1. ^ The Nation, Comrades-In-Arms: Their war gone by, 12 January 2006
2. ^ ^{a b c d e} Time Magazine, Surayud Chulanont: A soldier who answered to the people, 28 April 2003
3. ^ (Thai) Surayud Chulanont's official resume from the Royal Thai Army website
4. ^ ^{a b} IHT, Thai junta shores up role in politics, 1 October 2006
5. ^ The Nation, Editorial & Opinion: Surayuth guns for reforms, 18 February 1999
6. ^ ^{a b} Asia Times, Unplugging Thailand, Myanmar energy deals, 14 November 2006
7. ^ The Statesman, Sonthi: The man who made it happen, 20 September 2006
8. ^ ^{a b} The Nation, Warning from Surayud: Thaksin's return 'a threat', 28 September 2006
9. ^ The Nation, Media criticised over 'unhelpful news', 4 July 2005
10. ^ DPA, New Prime Minister a respected former army commander, 1 October 2006
11. ^ The Bangkok Post, Surayud leads nominees for PM, 27 September 2006
12. ^ The Bangkok Post, New Highway Planned to Let Herds Mingle, 26 April 2004
13. ^ The Nation, Sonthi to be granted an audience to nominate interim PM at 4 pm, 1 October 2006
14. ^ The Nation, Sonthi: Surayud to be PM, 1 October 2006
15. ^ The Bangkok Post, Surayud's military past posed worry, 2 October 2006
16. ^ CNN, Former Thai army chief sworn in as interim PM, 1 October 2006
17. ^ The Nation, Thai public support for post-coup government falls: poll, 14 November 2006
18. ^ "Embattled TRT Still Holds Edge Over Opposition: Poll", The Nation, Nation Multimedia Group, 2006-07-31. Retrieved on 2006-09-20.
19. ^ The Nation, Poll should precede new charter: law experts, 2 October 2006
20. ^ The Bangkok Post, Draft charter loopholes can 'resurrect Thaksin regime', 28 September 2006
21. ^ The Nation, Drafting new charter 'may take 17 mths', 18 October 2006
22. ^ Associated Press, THAI KING TO SWEAR-IN CABINET, 9 October 2006
23. ^ The Australian, Thailand's post-coup cabinet unveiled, 9 October 2006
24. ^ The Nation, Call for end to policy corruption, 16 October 2006
25. ^ The Nation, Sweeping changes in state telecom boards, 28 October 2006
26. ^ ^{a b} The Nation, Bt30 health fee may be scrapped, 14 October 2006
27. ^ The Nation, No 'coyote dances' for Loy Krathong: Culture Ministry, 3 November 2006
28. ^ The Nation, NHSO backs plan to ditch Bt30 fee, 31 October 2006
29. ^ The Nation, Energy minister says abolition of octane-95 oil sale to be indefinitely delayed, 20 October 2006
30. ^ Bangkok Post, Ministry to cancel Egat's 50% promise, 9 November 2006
31. ^ The Nation, 'Under-strength' military expecting funds, 2 November 2006
32. ^ Australia Defence Intelligence Organisation, Defense Economic Trends in Asia-Pacific 2004
33. ^ The Nation, Warrants soon in Somchai 'murder' case, 4 November 2006
34. ^ The Nation, Tam Yam Kung networks in Malaysia finance insurgents : PM, 21 November 2006
35. ^ The Nation, Not all Tom Yam Kung restaurants fund insurgency : Interior, 22 November 2006
36. ^ Bangkok Post, Education Ministry axes 3 schemes, 28 November 2006
37. ^ Bangkok Post, Education Ministry axes 3 schemes, 28 November 2006
38. ^ The Nation, Famous schools ordered to take in half of new students from neighbourhood, 14 November 2006
39. ^ The Nation, Massive loss from Thaksin projects, 16 November 2006
40. ^ The Nation, Pridiyathorn explains sufficiency economy concept to investors, 10 November 2006
41. ^ Bangkok Post, Ministry scraps one-million-cows project, 29 November 2006
42. ^ The Nation, Taxi driver 'sacrificed himself for democracy', 2 November 2006
43. ^ The Nation, MCOT plunges on policy reversal, 4 November 2006
44. ^ The Nation, NLA revokes ban on demonstrations, 12 November 2006
45. ^ The Nation, Junta gets fat-cat allowances, 8 November 2006
46. ^ Bangkok Post, Minister testy over 'coup rewards' crack, 8 November 2006
47. ^ The Nation, Govt set to unveil 5 rapid rail lines, 6 November 2006
48. ^ The Nation, Thaksin's return 'a threat', 28 September 2006
49. ^ The Nation, Deposed PM's in China to meet Surayud : Gen Sonthi, 2 November 2006
50. ^ The Nation, PM quashes Thaksin return, 13 November 2006

External links

• (English) News articles related to Thai Coup 2006

Further reading

• Janes Defence Weekly, Interview with Gen Surayud Chulanont, 3 November 1999
• TIME Magazine, Asian heroes: Surayud Chulanont, 2003
• BBC News, Profile: Surayud Chulanont, 1 October 2006

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