ASIAWEEK - A Fresh Approach

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ASIAWEEK

NOVEMBER 19, 1999 VOL. 25 NO. 46

A Fresh Approach
Like a lot of armies elsewhere, Thailand's is undergoing changes - for =
the better=20

By JULIAN GEARING Mae Sot, Thailand-Myanmar border=20

Capt. Maitri Choopreecha peers out of a sandbagged bunker overlooking =
the Moei River on the border with Myanmar, wiping the sweat from his =
forehead. This is not an easy time to be a Thai soldier. Tensions along =
the 2,400-km frontier, closed by Yangon after last month's siege of its =
Bangkok embassy, have heightened even further because of Thailand's =
unilateral decision to forcibly repatriate thousands of illegal Myanmar =
migrants. The Thais propel them over the border, and the Myanmarese push =
many back. Skirmishes are likely, in which in the past the Thai army has =
often come off second-best against combat-hardened forces from Myanmar. =
Capt. Maitri tries not to think of that. As his men clean and oil their =
M-16 rifles and grenade-launchers, he talks hopefully of detente, of the =
cross-border meetings his men have with their opposite numbers, of the =
job at hand. Sure, his men are green and lack experience under fire, but =
as he sees it, his men are not the issue. Underworked and overfed =
generals in the halls of power are.=20

Thailand's military has long had an unsavory reputation: launching =
coups; lacking fighting prowess ("better in the brothel than on the =
battlefield," jokes one foreign military observer); engaging in business =
and corruption. The 250,000-man Thai army is saddled with 700 generals - =
one for every tank. Now, like the armed forces of many Asian nations =
(see story), Thailand's military is undergoing a series of reforms to =
make it professional. In charge of the changes is the new crusading army =
commander-in-chief, Surayudh Chulanont, 55. The general, whose gentle =
manner belies his toughness, has helped hammer out a new blueprint for =
Thailand's top-heavy, over-manned army. It includes axing generals, =
downsizing personnel levels, cutting procurement and eradicating graft. =
What Surayudh wants, he says, is "a lean and mean army." That's the =
public agenda. But there is a private one too: to put an end to the =
unconstitutional power plays by generals who, through an endless cycle =
of military coups and dictatorships, have trampled on democratic ideals =
for close to 50 of the 67 years that Thailand has been a constitutional =
democracy.=20

Surayudh wants to trim the 70% of the army's budget that goes to =
personnel. First to face the axe, he says, will be his favorite unit, =
the Lopburi-based Special Warfare Center, where he served 18 years, most =
recently as commander. "Within five years we will have cut 50% of our =
generals," he says. Surayudh is aiming for a volunteer force of more =
mobile, professional troops whose emphasis will be on "speed and =
timing." He has launched a crackdown on mafia-style activity and endemic =
corruption. Transparency is the new watchword. And while Thai army =
chiefs traditionally ran diplomacy with Yangon (not least because of the =
perennially difficult border issues), Surayudh has thrown the ball over =
to the foreign ministry's court. His policy is: You do the diplomatic =
work, we'll get on with soldiering.=20

Surayudh is aware of another challenge. The scores of Thai pro-democracy =
protestors who died in May 1992 in a hail of soldiers' bullets prove =
that the army has posed a greater danger to the Thai people than the =
guns of foreign intruders. Few would dispute that the military has =
helped to open up the backwaters and develop Thailand, fighting off the =
communist threat of the 1960s and '70s, and stepping in to assist in =
times of crisis. But under the pretext of protecting the nation, many =
generals assumed it was their right to grab power, grab payoffs from =
corrupt deals, and grab influence through company board appointments (a =
"state-within-a-state," according to critics). So common were attempts =
by various factions of the army to usurp power - 17 coup attempts in all =
- that Thailand's struggling democracy became a joke.=20

May 1992 may have stopped the generals in their tracks. "This was a =
watershed, a turning point," says PM's Office Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva =
of the hostile public reaction when the unelected and unpopular Gen. =
Suchinda Kraprayoon tried to assume the premiership. Surayudh, away from =
Bangkok at the time, says this was "a lesson learned." Yet, when asked, =
he can give no assurance that tanks will not rumble again onto Bangkok =
streets.=20

Will Surayudh succeed in changing the military for the better? After =
all, his two immediate predecessors also talked reform, yet little =
happened. But Surayudh has a secret weapon - the country's first =
civilian defense minister, PM Chuan Leekpai himself (see interview). =
Throw in a new cleaner and more transparent Constitution, the first =
written by civilians and not the military, and the army boss stands a =
good chance of turning words into action. "The democratization process, =
having a civilian defense minister, the economic crisis, all these =
factors increase the urgency of reform and make it more likely to =
happen," says military expert Panitan Wattanayagorn. Not everyone is =
convinced. Former PM Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, himself a onetime army =
chief, grumbles that civilians cannot possibly understand the workings =
of the military - a not-so-veiled criticism of his successor Chuan.=20

Surayudh has one more trump: the new generation of soldier - like Col. =
Montri Poontawee. Bouncing along a dirt border road in an all-terrain =
vehicle, Col. Montri plays with a hand-held Global Positioning System =
(GPS), pressing the buttons to work out where his vehicle is on planet =
earth. The 29-year-old officer graduated from Chulachomklao Royal =
Military Academy. (For the record, he is not driving an ill-gotten =
Mercedes Benz, on his way to an illicit gambling den.) "Changing =
people's mindset is harder than changing the system," says Montri, =
flipping through the GPS handbook. "Gen. Surayudh's focus is on the =
quality of the soldiers, less on the system. But when you are talking =
about people, it is difficult to bring about changes. That takes time."=20

Yet the army's image is already improving. For one thing, the =
1,500-strong "Task Force 72," part of the international peacekeeping =
operation in East Timor, has been receiving plenty of favorable reports =
from the U.N., Australia (which is leading the force) and the rest of =
the international community. Call it another step forward on the long =
march to reform.=20


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=20

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<HTML><HEAD>
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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff><FONT face=3DArial size=3D3>
<DIV align=3Djustify><STRONG>ASIAWEEK</STRONG></DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify>NOVEMBER 19, 1999 VOL. 25 NO. 46</DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify><FONT color=3D#0000ff>A Fresh Approach</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify><FONT color=3D#0000ff>Like a lot of armies =
elsewhere,=20
Thailand's is undergoing changes - for the better </FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify><BR>By JULIAN GEARING Mae Sot, Thailand-Myanmar =
border </DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify><BR>Capt. Maitri Choopreecha peers out of a =
sandbagged bunker=20
overlooking the Moei River on the border with Myanmar, wiping the sweat =
from his=20
forehead. This is not an easy time to be a Thai soldier. Tensions along =
the=20
2,400-km frontier, closed by Yangon after last month's siege of its =
Bangkok=20
embassy, have heightened even further because of Thailand's unilateral =
decision=20
to forcibly repatriate thousands of illegal Myanmar migrants. The Thais =
propel=20
them over the border, and the Myanmarese push many back. Skirmishes are =
likely,=20
in which in the past the Thai army has often come off second-best =
against=20
combat-hardened forces from Myanmar. Capt. Maitri tries not to think of =
that. As=20
his men clean and oil their M-16 rifles and grenade-launchers, he talks=20
hopefully of detente, of the cross-border meetings his men have with =
their=20
opposite numbers, of the job at hand. Sure, his men are green and lack=20
experience under fire, but as he sees it, his men are not the issue. =
Underworked=20
and overfed generals in the halls of power are. </DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify>Thailand's military has long had an unsavory =
reputation:=20
launching coups; lacking fighting prowess ("better in the brothel than =
on the=20
battlefield," jokes one foreign military observer); engaging in business =
and=20
corruption. The 250,000-man Thai army is saddled with 700 generals - one =
for=20
every tank. Now, like the armed forces of many Asian nations (see =
story),=20
Thailand's military is undergoing a series of reforms to make it =
professional.=20
In charge of the changes is the new crusading army commander-in-chief, =
Surayudh=20
Chulanont, 55. The general, whose gentle manner belies his toughness, =
has helped=20
hammer out a new blueprint for Thailand's top-heavy, over-manned army. =
It=20
includes axing generals, downsizing personnel levels, cutting =
procurement and=20
eradicating graft. What Surayudh wants, he says, is "a lean and mean =
army."=20
That's the public agenda. But there is a private one too: to put an end =
to the=20
unconstitutional power plays by generals who, through an endless cycle =
of=20
military coups and dictatorships, have trampled on democratic ideals for =
close=20
to 50 of the 67 years that Thailand has been a constitutional democracy. =
</DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify><BR>Surayudh wants to trim the 70% of the army's =
budget that=20
goes to personnel. First to face the axe, he says, will be his favorite =
unit,=20
the Lopburi-based Special Warfare Center, where he served 18 years, most =

recently as commander. "Within five years we will have cut 50% of our =
generals,"=20
he says. Surayudh is aiming for a volunteer force of more mobile, =
professional=20
troops whose emphasis will be on "speed and timing." He has launched a =
crackdown=20
on mafia-style activity and endemic corruption. Transparency is the new=20
watchword. And while Thai army chiefs traditionally ran diplomacy with =
Yangon=20
(not least because of the perennially difficult border issues), Surayudh =
has=20
thrown the ball over to the foreign ministry's court. His policy is: You =
do the=20
diplomatic work, we'll get on with soldiering. </DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify>Surayudh is aware of another challenge. The scores =
of Thai=20
pro-democracy protestors who died in May 1992 in a hail of soldiers' =
bullets=20
prove that the army has posed a greater danger to the Thai people than =
the guns=20
of foreign intruders. Few would dispute that the military has helped to =
open up=20
the backwaters and develop Thailand, fighting off the communist threat =
of the=20
1960s and '70s, and stepping in to assist in times of crisis. But under =
the=20
pretext of protecting the nation, many generals assumed it was their =
right to=20
grab power, grab payoffs from corrupt deals, and grab influence through =
company=20
board appointments (a "state-within-a-state," according to critics). So =
common=20
were attempts by various factions of the army to usurp power - 17 coup =
attempts=20
in all - that Thailand's struggling democracy became a joke. </DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify>May 1992 may have stopped the generals in their =
tracks. "This=20
was a watershed, a turning point," says PM's Office Minister Abhisit =
Vejjajiva=20
of the hostile public reaction when the unelected and unpopular Gen. =
Suchinda=20
Kraprayoon tried to assume the premiership. Surayudh, away from Bangkok =
at the=20
time, says this was "a lesson learned." Yet, when asked, he can give no=20
assurance that tanks will not rumble again onto Bangkok streets. </DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify>Will Surayudh succeed in changing the military for =
the=20
better? After all, his two immediate predecessors also talked reform, =
yet little=20
happened. But Surayudh has a secret weapon - the country's first =
civilian=20
defense minister, PM Chuan Leekpai himself (see interview). Throw in a =
new=20
cleaner and more transparent Constitution, the first written by =
civilians and=20
not the military, and the army boss stands a good chance of turning =
words into=20
action. "The democratization process, having a civilian defense =
minister, the=20
economic crisis, all these factors increase the urgency of reform and =
make it=20
more likely to happen," says military expert Panitan Wattanayagorn. Not =
everyone=20
is convinced. Former PM Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, himself a onetime army =
chief,=20
grumbles that civilians cannot possibly understand the workings of the =
military=20
- a not-so-veiled criticism of his successor Chuan. </DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify>Surayudh has one more trump: the new generation of =
soldier -=20
like Col. Montri Poontawee. Bouncing along a dirt border road in an =
all-terrain=20
vehicle, Col. Montri plays with a hand-held Global Positioning System =
(GPS),=20
pressing the buttons to work out where his vehicle is on planet earth. =
The=20
29-year-old officer graduated from Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy. =
(For=20
the record, he is not driving an ill-gotten Mercedes Benz, on his way to =
an=20
illicit gambling den.) "Changing people's mindset is harder than =
changing the=20
system," says Montri, flipping through the GPS handbook. "Gen. =
Surayudh's focus=20
is on the quality of the soldiers, less on the system. But when you are =
talking=20
about people, it is difficult to bring about changes. That takes time." =
</DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify>Yet the army's image is already improving. For one =
thing, the=20
1,500-strong "Task Force 72," part of the international peacekeeping =
operation=20
in East Timor, has been receiving plenty of favorable reports from the =
U.N.,=20
Australia (which is leading the force) and the rest of the international =

community. Call it another step forward on the long march to reform. =
</DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify>
<HR>
</DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify><BR>&nbsp;</DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>

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