Army arrests former Thai ministers

Peter Alford, Bangkok
The Australian
Sep. 21, 2006

THAILAND'S military junta has started its campaign to expose alleged widespread corruption in Thaksin Shinawatra's former government by taking into custody two of its shadiest ministers.

Newin Chidchob and Yongyuth Tiyapairat surrendered yesterday at the army's Chang Wattana headquarters in Bangkok's northern suburbs.

But the main target of the purge by General Sonthi Boonyaratglin's Administrative Reform Council is Mr Thaksin, whose government was overthrown by the army on Tuesday night while he was in New York to address the UN General Assembly. Last night, Mr Thaksin called for national reconciliation but said he was taking a "deserved rest" from politics.

After annulling all senior statutory appointments, General Sonthi, the army's commander-in-chief, has confirmed the appointment of Auditor-General Jaruvan Maintaka and instructed her to give priority to 14 cases of suspected government corruption already under investigation.

Ms Jaruvan's office was one of the few statutory watchdogs the Thaksin government was unable to stack or intimidate. One of the cases the Auditor-General has under investigation is alleged tax evasion by the Thaksin family in the $US1.9billion ($2.5 billion) sale in January of its controlling stake in the Shin Corporation communications group.

General Sonthi yesterday repeated his promise to transfer authority to an appointed interim government within the next fortnight, although he has said a national election is unlikely for another year.

The military council is moving fast to investigate official corruption, which General Sonthi said had become rampant during Mr Thaksin's five years in office.

And although the military takeover has been untroubled by any resistance in Bangkok, the junta has acted to quell any outbreak of public dissent. News media executives were called to a meeting yesterday and asked to stop broadcasting messages from viewers and "other expressions of public opinion".

The generals also issued an order last night banning political activity, citing a need to protect the constitutional monarchy. A statement issued on Wednesday night in the name of King Bhumibol Adulyadej endorsed the coup and the ARC.

In a statement read out on TV networks last night, the junta "ordered political parties to halt all meetings and political activities". However, there was no immediate word from ARC headquarters on what had happened to the former ministers.

Mr Newin, a former Prime Minister's Office minister accused of organising and funding massive pro-Thaksin rallies earlier this year, was jeered by onlookers as a "dictator" and "corruptor" when he arrived at the ARC yesterday morning.

He remained inside when his car left in the early afternoon.

Mr Yongyuth, whose administration of the Environment and Natural Resources Ministry was dogged by corruption scandals, gave himself up yesterday morning after armed troops ransacked his residences in the capital and in the northern city of Chiang Rai. He was also detained.

Former deputy prime minister Chidchai Vanasatidya was already being held by the army at an undisclosed "safe" location.

Mr Thaksin arrived in London on Wednesday and was taken to his luxury apartment in the suburb of Kensington, where he joined his daughter, Pingtonghta, who studies in London.

His son, Panthongtae, is believed to be on his way to London, and his wife Potjaman, who slipped out of Bangkok on Tuesday, was expected to join the family yesterday.

There is speculation the ousted prime minister will seek political asylum in Britain.

In a statement released last night, Mr Thaksin said: "The events in Thailand during the last two days should not detract from my main aim of national reconciliation", which all Thais should pursue "for the sake of our king and country".

"We hope the new regime will quickly arrange a new general election and continue to uphold the principles of democracy for the future of all Thais."

The statement said Mr Thaksin "as of now will take a deserved rest", adding that he "will be planning to work on research, on development and possible charitable work for Thailand".

He emerged from his apartment later but refused to comment, saying only: "I am going to buy some groceries."

In Washington, the US State Department condemned the coup and called for a return to civilian rule, but stopped short of calling for Mr Thaksin's return.