Pheu Thai-linked general gets top Defence job

General Sathien Permthong-in, chief adviser to the Royal Thai Armed Forces, becomes the Defence Ministry’s top bureaucrat effective today.
The transfer lists – undersigned by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra – cover 584 senior officers in the Defence Ministry, the Royal Thai Armed Forces headquarters, the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force.
The military reshuffle was delayed as Defence Minister General Yuthasak Sasiprapha reportedly failed to agree with top commanders of the armed forces about appointees to certain positions, including that of the permanent secretary for defence.
General Thanasak Patimaprakorn, the armed forces’ chief-of-staff, has been appointed supreme commander of the armed forces.
Army chief-of-staff General Dawpong Rattanasuwan, the chief architect of last year’s dispersal of massive street protests by the red shirts, becomes deputy Army commander-in-chief.
Admiral Surasak Runroengrom, a special adviser to the Navy, has been appointed commander-in-chief of the Navy, replacing Admiral Kamthorn Pumhirun, who retired yesterday.
The royal endorsement includes the controversial transfer of National Security Council chief Thawil Pliensri to an advisory post attached to the PM’s Office. The transfer could be overruled if the Civil Service Commission’s committee on morality rules that the transfer was unfair, as alleged by Thawil.
In a related development, the ruling Pheu Thai Party is likely to push for an amendment to the Defence Ministry Act giving the defence minister greater say in the annual reshuffle of senior armed forces commanders, a member of the party’s legal team said yesterday.
Pheu Thai MP Pirapan Palusuk said the law, drafted by the post-coup government of General Surayud Chulanont, limited the defence minister’s powers, though the minister should in fact be considered the top leader of the armed forces.
“The party is likely to push for amendment of the law. We will discuss it soon,” the MP said.
The law contains provisions that are aimed at preventing political interference in the armed forces’ annual transfers of senior commanders.Pirapan voiced his backing for a proposal by fellow Pheu Thai MP Korkaew Pikulthong, who is also a leader of the red-shirt movement, to amend the law. He asked Korkaew to make a written proposal to the party so that the legal team could discuss the matter.
“This matter has been discussed within the party. Many people in the party agree that the law limits the powers of the defence minister,” he said.Meanwhile, Army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha said yesterday that Pheu Thai MP Jatuporn Promphan has the right to organise a protest by his red-shirt supporters against the promotion of Army officers involved in last year’s dispersal of red-shirt street demonstrations. However, he warned that such freedom of expression should not be exercised in a way that violates the law or infringes on other people’s rights.
Prayuth said soldiers simply do their duty and do not want to get involved in conflicts between any groups.
“We need unity now, in order to overcome our country’s obstacles together. If we continue to fight against each other, it’s the people who will lose opportunities,” he said.
Defence Minister General Yuthasak Sasiprapha yesterday said the promotion of the officers in question followed proper legal procedures and that the officers abided by the law in performing their duty regarding last year’s protest dispersal.
Senior Democrat MP Suthep Thaugsuban, who oversaw the break-up of the protest, said yesterday that Jatuporn should not resort to mob rule to force others to do his bidding. Suthep called on the government to ensure the law is enforced if the red shirts violate the law.