Army chief warns to look out for ‘proxy crisis’
The Army chief has pointed to a “proxy crisis” facing the country, in a veiled criticism of the “Run Against Dictatorship” campaign scheduled for early next year.
General Apirat Kongsompong, commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army, said on Friday (December 20) that the Army supported all kinds of physical activities to strengthen the mind and body, “However there are people who have ulterior motives and are trying to use these activities as a cover for other objectives, which defeat the purpose of physical training.”
The “Run Against Dictatorship” campaign is scheduled for January 12, 2020. Future Forward Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit and his supporters are expected to take part in the event.
When asked about measures to handle a possible political rally and mob during New Year, Apirat said: “There’s no need to worry as Thailand has overcome various kinds of crises in the past. However, there’s a different kind of crisis that we need to prepare for and it’s ‘proxy crisis’.”
Apirat further explained that a proxy crisis was organised or manipulated by someone to fulfill their goals. “The mastermind probably realises it is not possible to fight the authority head-on, so a proxy is appointed to fight for them,” he said. “A proxy crisis is different from a proxy war; look up their definitions to see how they are different,” he said.
“No matter what kind of crisis we are facing, the most important thing is that everyone must obey the law,” he added. “If Thai people disobey the laws and the Constitution by ignoring the resolutions of judicial bodies, it will raise questions among foreign countries regarding the sanctity of our laws.”
When asked who he thought was the mastermind behind these proxies, Apirat said there could be many people who used different proxies for different purposes. “The unrest situation in the South and political demonstrations could be the work of these proxies, too” he added.