To ensure security for the coalition government led by Pheu Thai, all eyes are on Sutin Klungsang, the new defense minister, and his ability to effectively work with the government.
Mr. Sutin, a citizen in charge of military affairs, will face numerous obstacles in the future, including military reform, the turmoil of the South, and strained military ties with other nations.
Military is supervised by civilians
The second civil to hold the position of defense minister without also serving as prime minister is Mr. Sutin.
Previous prime ministers Chuan Leekpai, Samak Sundaravej, Somchai Wongsawat, and Yingluck Shinawatra are among those who served as defense minister. MR. Seni Pramoj was a civilian.
Spectators noted that Thaksin Shinawatra, a former prime minister who is regarded as Pheu Thai’s de facto leader, was imprisoned and working to find ways to stop future coups in order to ensure that the government posed no threat to the government that is led by the Thai people.
The Thaksin government was overthrown in a revolution on September 19, 2006, and on May 22, 2014, the government led by Yingluck, his younger sister, suffered eerily similar circumstances.
Despite the fact that the Pheu Thai-led government has been established, Thaksin continues to lack confidence in the army because of his involvement in a military coup, according to military resources with knowledge of the situation.
Therefore, according to the resources, he was eager to increase human supervision of the military forces within the new authorities and lessen the impact of” the three brothers in arms.”
The trio, also referred to as the” Three Por” generals, includes former interior minister Anupong Paojinda, former prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, and former leader of the Palang Pracharath Party( PPRP ).
In spite of the fact that the PPRP and the United Thai Nation( UTN ) Party are now allies in the Pheu Thai coalition, Gen Prawit did not receive a cabinet position after he quit his political career and joined the UTN.
According to the resources, Gen Vit Thephasdin Na Ayutthaya, a former deputy planner of the PPRP and close ally of Gen Prawit, as well as Gen Natthapon Nakpanich, past secretary-general of National Security Council, who is related to General Prayukt, were previously rumored to be candidates for the position of defense minister.
However, Mr. Sutin, a Pheu Thai MP for Maha Sarakham, ultimately prevailed.
According to the sources,” Pheu Thai ] at Thaksin’s instruction ] chose Mr. Sutin to demonstrate that a civilian can also run the Defense Ministry.”
However, a settlement has been reached because Gen Natthapon will likely be the secretary-general of the Defense Minister.
Additionally, another citizen, Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, is rumored to be appointed to oversee regional stability. Mr. Phumtham, who also serves as the minister of commerce, is a near friend of Thaksin.
Who will be chosen to take the place of Gen Wanlop Rugsanoh, the mind of the government’s talks work, and whose efforts to bring about harmony in the deep South are also being watched closely.
When the earlier administration ended, Gen Wanlop, who had been chosen by former prime minister Gen Prayut, was forced to resign.
According to sources, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin prefers a civil to lead the peace operation, though it can be challenging to find qualified candidates with the necessary background.
The government wants a previous senior military official with local experience to get over.
According to the sources, if Mr. Srettha chooses a civil for the position, it may confirm the government’s intention to lessen the influence and role of the military.
There is no secret mission behind the nomination of a civil as defense minister, according to Dr. Prommin Lertsuridej, secretary-general of the prime minister. This complies with global norms.
Dr. Prommin, who is also near to Thaksin, asserted that this visit is not meant to stop future coups and urged all Thai citizens to band together to do so.
According to the sources, it is unclear whether the government will attempt to amend the Ministry of Defence Organization Act BE 2551 ( 2008 ) to eliminate the committee in charge of selecting military generals in order to make it easier for the defense minister to appoint military leaders.
The committee consists of the permanent repository for defense, the troops, navy, and air pressure chiefs, with five votes, while the sheriff defense minister and the defence minister, who are from different parties, only have two votes.
Mr. Sutin, the Defence Minister, now has no delegates, so he only has one vote.
The Internal Security Operations Command ( Isoc) will likely be abolished by the government, as Thaksin once did when he was prime minister. The disbanded Isoc was resurrected following the coup in 2006.
Mr. Sutin has stated that the decision may be made by the prime minister, who serves as the Isoc’s producer.
local difficulties
Safety professional Panitan Wattanayagorn predicted that the new defense secretary would face a number of difficulties.
” A defense minister will encounter more difficulties than his predecessors if he does not also serve as excellent minister.”
He has a lot of decisions to make both domestically and abroad.
The controversial underwater purchasing that the government signed with a China concessionaire will be handled by the new minister, who will also have to decide how to reduce the size of the armed forces, put an end to military conscription, and quell southern unrest. All of these difficulties await the fresh defense minister, according to Mr. Panitan.
However, there shouldn’t be any big domestic issues. Mr. Sutin was aware that events were criticizing the Defense Ministry before he took business.
It shouldn’t be hard for him to handle the issues and complete his research, Mr. Panitan said.
The problems in Myanmar was also discussed at the Asean Summit in Indonesia, which ended on Thursday, and he claimed that international and regional problems involving major energy competitions from the South China Sea to the Korean Peninsula are more challenging to handle than private people.
According to Mr. Panitan, the Defense Ministry may also contribute to Thailand’s efforts to gain worldwide recognition because the Foreign Affairs Ministry never afford to support efforts only to end the Myanmar crisis.
In order to prevent Thailand from being drawn into taking sides, the defense secretary will need to manage relations with the US government in a way that will benefit the nation, he said. This is because it is important to maintain stability between the United States and China.
Social science lecturer Wanwichit Boonprong of Rangsit University claimed that choosing a defense minister who does not also function as prime minister has benefits because he won’t be perceived as trying to meddle in military affairs.
knowledgeable about finances
Additionally, Mr. Sutin is knowledgeable about the government’s resources strategies having served on a House committee on federal spending.
The Isoc is anticipated to be one of the primary organizations the new secretary inspects, according to Mr. Sutin, who is aware of how the Defense Ministry’s finances will be spent.
The replacement of military muster with deliberate recruitment presents another problem for the new defense minister.
As a motivator for enrollment, Mr. Wanwichit stated that” Mr. Sutin may guarantee that those who sign up for voluntary enrollment receive higher pay than when they were conscripted.”
According to Mr. Wanwichit, a strategy to employ areas owned by military agencies to improve their business value and increase income is also included in the review of the government’s policy statement, which will be presented to parliament tomorrow.
According to him, this will enable the Defense Ministry and the military forces to be financially independent rather than solely rely on national budgets.
He continued,” Institutions run by the government should declare the community to increase their income as well.”