Sonthi Boonyaratglin

The General Sonthi Boonyaratglin (สนธิบุญยรัตกลิน), born on October 2nd 1946 with Pathum Thani, is a Militaire inhabitant of Thailand commander-in-chief of the Royal army inhabitant of Thailand. It was the Moslem first to obtain this station in an army mainly made up of Buddhist.

Former lieutenant-general and commander of a unit of elite, Sonthi Boonyaratglin was promoted assisting of the commander-in-chief of the army in 2004. Become in its turn commander-in-chief, his executive powers were widened so that it can restore the order in the south of the country, victim of violence terrorist quasi daily.

In front of the concern of several opposition parties seeing the capacity growing of the Boonyaratglin general, this one spoke on several occasions and ensured that the army would not interfere in the political crisis which has shaken the country for several years. The September 13rd 2006, it declared: “Did the political situation sufficiently worsen to organize a coup d'etat? I do not think it. There is room for maneuver within the framework of the democratic system”; the 14, it added: “We must have confidence one in another. The rumors (of coup d'etat) aim at dividing the country (...) the unit is that which our country needs. We must thus stop speaking about coup d'etat (...) It is impossible. ”. The same day, Prommin Lertsuridej, general secretary of the Prime Minister, declared with the press which there was a possibility that certain soldiers foment a coup d'etat or an attempted murder against the Prime Minister.

The September 19th 2006, Boonyaratglin launches a military coup d'etat and reverses the government inhabitant of Thailand. The Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, in official visit at the general meeting of the the United Nations to New York, dismisses the general and issues the state of emergency. A few hours after the beginning of the operation, a general implied in the putsch declares with the press: " The armed forces inhabitants of Thailand directed by the general Sonthi Boonyaratglin reversed the government of the Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and imposed the law martiale". According to the Bangkok Post, the putschists would be presented in the form of a Conseil of the Democratic Reform.

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