Former Thai deputy premier sees military coup as only solution

Updated October 10, 2008 20:28:27

Thailand's former deputy premier Chavalit Yongchaiyudh has told local media a military coup is the only solution to the current political crisis that's gripping the country. Mr Chavalit , himself a former army chief, resigned earlier this week , taking responsibility for the violent clashes between police and anti-government demonstrators. Meanwhile the 7 leaders of the People's Alliance for Democracy group which is behind the demonstrations, have been bailed after surrendering to police on charges of inciting unrest, two other PAD leaders already in custody were also released leaving them free to continue their five month campaign to unseat the government.

Presenter:Claudette Werden
Speaker: Giles Ji Ungpakorn, Associate Professor of Political Science at Chulalongkorn University


UNGPAKORN: I'm not surprised at what he's saying, in fact the PAD, the anti-government protesters have a strategy of causing chaos, in order to actually initiate a coup d'etat, or at least the overthrow of the government so they can bring about what they call a new order which is basically an authoritarian state. They're against democracy because they believe the poor cannot be trusted to vote because they're too stupid because they always vote for the governing party that they don't like. Now the thing is General Chavalit, who made the statement is a retired army officer and it's not clear whether he's really speaking for the guys that hold the power in the army.

WERDEN: Well that's the whole point, because I understand, or I have read repeatedly the general is on record as saying they won't step in.

UNGPAKORN: Well the Generals that staged the coup in 2006 were saying the same thing right up to the end as well. Really what we have is an extraordinary situation. On Tuesday, the PAD staged violent protests outside the parliament and government house. They had guns, they attacked police and the police attacked them with tear gas. Now you have doctors supporting the PAD, who say they are refusing to treat injured policemen.

WERDEN: What about these & who handed themselves into police now?

UNGPAKORN: Some of the PAD people who were arrested have been let out on bail and they've gone back to the protest inside government house.

WERDEN: So where do we go now, what's the likely scenario?

UNGPAKORN: Well the court proceedings take a long time but also there's a possibility the court will dissolve the government party for a second time, thus throwing up yet another obstacle for the party that's been elected by the majority of the population to actually form a government so this is what the anti-government people want, they either want a coup d'etat or a judiciary coup d'etat if you like.