Anutin cries foul over fake news he ordered ex-Second Army chief to cease fire

Prime Minister dismisses social media claims as politically motivated

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Monday dismissed as fake news the claim that he had ordered a former commander of the Second Army Area to stop speaking about the July border clashes — or to call a ceasefire on the first day of fighting.

In a Facebook post at 10.17am, Anutin decried what he called a deliberate attempt to undermine his political reputation. The claim had first appeared earlier that morning on a pro-People’s Party fan page run by supporters of the movement, not by the party itself.

False post sparks social media uproar

The original post, made by a Facebook user named Aphichat Kanthasopa at 7.35am, read: “Now, do you know who gave the order to [Boonsin] to cease fire?” It included a photo with a caption alleging that “Anutin warned Boonsin to stop giving lectures on the military operations during the clashes, fearing it would demoralise troops on the front line.”

The post quickly went viral, drawing more than 2,000 reactions — including likes, angry and laughing emojis — along with 1,400 comments and 97 shares by 11.30am.

Anutin responds, denies involvement

Anutin reposted Aphichat’s message with a firm denial: “It’s fake news. Don’t undermine me like this. I would also like to know who ordered the ceasefire. I know Commander Koong [Boonsin] well and have always regarded him as a national hero.”

His post garnered over 2,100 reactions, 317 comments and 199 shares within an hour of being published.

Boonsin’s remarks reignite speculation

The controversy followed remarks made by Lt Gen Boonsin Padklang, the former Second Army Area commander, who revealed during a speech in Nakhon Pathom on Sunday that a superior officer had called him about six hours after fighting broke out on July 24, instructing him to halt the operation.

Boonsin said he refused, arguing that it was impossible to stop once the battle had begun and that he intended to continue fighting to reclaim Thai territory. He added that he had defied the order by threatening to go public, warning that whoever gave it would be branded a national traitor.

Who gave the ceasefire order?

Boonsin’s disclosure fuelled speculation over who could have issued the alleged ceasefire command. Military analysts said only three figures were in a position to do so — the army commander-in-chief, the defence minister, or the prime minister.

At the time of the clashes, Phumtham Wechayachai was acting prime minister, while Gen Nattapon Nakpanich was acting defence minister. Nattapon has publicly stated that he never gave any such order to Boonsin.

At that time, Anutin was sitting on the opposition bench.