AFTER HELPING TO PLOT COUP, THIRD ARMY COMMANDER CALLS THE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CHIANG MAI 000159 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 9/26/2016 TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM MOPS ASEC TH SUBJECT: AFTER HELPING TO PLOT COUP, THIRD ARMY COMMANDER CALLS THE SHOTS IN THE NORTH REF: CHIANG MAI 120 (THIRD ARMY COMMANDER CHALLENGES THAKSIN'S NORTHERN POWER BASE) CHIANG MAI 00000159 001.2 OF 002 CLASSIFIED BY: Beatrice Camp , Consul General, Consulate Chiang Mai, State. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (C) Summary. The general in charge of northern Thailand came out blazing Friday with allegations that coup planning began months ago and that the former government wiretapped the Privy Council and the palace. He asserted a need to clear out Thaksin loyalists in the region and proposed that the military help screen out bad political candidates. These statements and others by 3rd Army Commander LTG Saprang Kalayamitra portray him as a key instigator of the Sept. 19 coup. With most of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's politically connected relatives and allies effectively shut out of power, Saprang is calling the shots in his northern fiefdom. End Summary. ¶2. (C) Gen. Saprang, by his own account one of the most committed coup plotters, made his first post-coup appearance in the north on Sept. 22 after returning from Bangkok to his headquarters in Phitsanulok. In anticipation of his return, media figures and heads of government agencies were summoned to Phitsanulok for two separate Friday sessions. Northern media and government Public Relations Department officers met with Saprang in the morning, followed by an afternoon meeting with heads of government agencies, including governors from all 17 northern provinces, to explain why the coup was staged, how it was conducted and what further steps the military-led Council for Democratic Reform under the Constitutional Monarchy (CDRM) would take in this region. Anger Over Wire-Tapping -------------- ¶3. (C) The outspoken general vowed to revamp the police and National Intelligence Agency (NIA),which he accused of monitoring anti-Thaksin individuals rather than focusing on counter-terrorism or counter-narcotics information gathering. He claimed that these agencies had wire-tapped him after his headline-generating criticism of Thaksin in July (reftel). In a separate conversation with the director of the Office of Narcotics Control Board-North (ONCB-North),Janya Sramajcha, Saprang went further, accusing Thaksin's brother-in-law Pol. Gen. Phriewphan Damaphong and former NIA chief and Thaksin classmate Pol LTG Jumpol Manmai of wire-tapping not only military leaders but also members of the Privy Council and the king "via highly sophisticated devices exclusively procured for the Thaksin camp." He described these actions as "beyond toleration" and "a breach of professional intelligence etiquette." ¶4. (C) At the Sept. 22 afternoon meeting, Saprang warned provincial governors from Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai that they will "pay the price" for their "excessive" loyalty to the Thaksin regime, most likely by being transferred. Saprang also singled out for attention certain local politicians and community radios for their potential provocative role against the CDRM. Coup Was Planned Months Ago -------------- ¶5. (C) In contrast to the impression given by coup leaders in the media, Saprang said that the overthrow of the Thaksin administration had been mapped out since early this year. Citing internal instability, the lack of decent political leadership, and widespread cronyism, Saprang described how for several months he "sent messages via the media" that went unheeded by politicians and government officials. As political polarization intensified and crept into the military establishment, "administrative reform" became necessary to prevent the nation from breaking apart, Saprang told his afternoon audience. ¶6. (C) According to Saprang, only he and army chief Gen Sonthi Bunyaratkalin were truly committed and contributed to the success of the Sept. 19 coup. Other commanders played supportive roles, he said, describing the 2nd army commander as "too gentleman-like" during and even after the coup by allowing freer movement of Thai Rak Thai party (TRT) leaders and anti-coup broadcasts from some community radios in the northeast. Meanwhile, in Chiang Mai, Saprang positioned armored vehicles in front of the municipal office early on Sept. 20 just hours after the coup and that morning issued instructions to the Governor to shut down all community radio stations. CHIANG MAI 00000159 002.2 OF 002 ¶7. (C) Reports from Saprang's address to provincial leaders said the general named individuals and agencies the CDRM is targeting for their roles in the Thaksin regime, including former cabinet ministers Newin Chidchob and Yongyut Tiyapairat - both targeted for mobilizing the pro-Thaksin/TRT grassroots activities. Saprang also called out three government agencies - Forestry (under Yongyut's supervision),NIA, and the Police Narcotics Suppression Bureau (PNSB) - for what he labeled "anti-royal" actions. The latter two, he said, were involved in the phone tapping. According to Drug Enforcement Administration officials in Chiang Mai, military units raided local PNSB offices on Sept. 20 and confiscated weapons. Military Will Help Guide Thai Politics -------------- - ¶8. (C) During his Sept. 22 meetings, Saprang made it clear that he intended to purge Thaksin loyalists out of Chiang Mai. In his meeting with Janya, he spoke of cleansing Thai politics, saying "we need to create a system that would encourage and screen good people to enter politics. The military can help with this idea; we would offer to stop or ward off those 'bad guys' from the contest while we are ready to canvass for the 'good guys.'" Saprang also asked Janya to take good care of the U.S. Consulate General in Chiang Mai, as "I see the U.S. as our great ally." ¶9. (U) As earlier reported in the media, Saprang is moving to Bangkok as assistant army chief. He said 3rd Army corps commander LTG Jiradet Kocharat, a close ally, would be his successor. ¶10. (C) COMMENT: As a long-time and well-known Thaksin foe, Saprang is taking advantage of his position as key power broker in the North. In comparison to other regional commanders, Saprang has acted much more aggressively to rein in Thaksin allies and stifle potential opposition to the CDRM. In this Third Army fiefdom, media figures and officials are being summoned to Saprang's headquarters in Phitsanulok for briefings or, in the case of Chiang Mai Mayor Boonlert Buranupakorn, weekly attendance checks. With CDRM leaders pre-occupied in Bangkok, Saprang has the local authority to neutralize Thaksin's closest allies in his former home base and pursue government agencies viewed as dominated by Thaskin cronies. ¶11. (C) Even allowing for some self-promotion, Saprang's comments support his contention that he was indeed one of the key instigators of Thaksin's overthrow. Now slated for a new assignment in Bangkok, Saprang is likely to end up with a more visible role in the CDRM leadership. In such a position, his oft-stated patriotism and passion for protecting the monarchy combined with his deep distrust of the former prime minister and tendency to say what he thinks could mean headaches for those in power. End Comment. CAMP