Thais see king’s hand in coup

BANGKOK – For many in Thailand, it was a clash between two men: an arrogant prime minister and a humble king who always wins.

Thailand’s revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej has yet to utter a word about the dramatic overnight coup that ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. But speaking out is not the style of the 78-year-old monarch.On the books, the bloodless coup was a military affair led by army chief Gen.Sondhi Boonyaratkalin, who said the overthrow was needed to resolve a protracted political crisis and restore “harmony among the people.”The new regime put Thailand under martial law and declared a provisional authority loyal to the monarch.It remains unclear exactly what role the king played in removing Thaksin.The palace claims it was not involved in the events, but many Thai people, along with political and monarchy experts, see it as another example of the constitutional monarch’s behind-the-scenes power.”If the king didn’t give a nod, this never would have been possible,” said Sulak Siwalak, a prominent social critic and author of books on the role of the monarchy in Thailand.”Thaksin failed to realise that the king has been on the throne for 60 years and he’s no fool.The man is old and Thaksin thought he could play around with him – and it was a dangerous game,” said Sulak.There was no one event that led to Thaksin’s ouster, but a series of missteps that prompted many to accuse the prime minister of challenging the king’s authority.Thaksin defied months of street protests and demands for him to resign amid allegations of corruption, election violations and a worsening Muslim insurgency in the south.Chief among Thaksin’s flaws was his personality.He proved to be ambitious, conservative and strong-willed, refusing to correct himself when his policies backfired – particularly in the case of a strong-armed military approach to violence in the south, where more than 1 700 people have died over the past two years.Critics call him self-centred and arrogant.Nampa-APBut speaking out is not the style of the 78-year-old monarch.On the books, the bloodless coup was a military affair led by army chief Gen.Sondhi Boonyaratkalin, who said the overthrow was needed to resolve a protracted political crisis and restore “harmony among the people.”The new regime put Thailand under martial law and declared a provisional authority loyal to the monarch.It remains unclear exactly what role the king played in removing Thaksin.The palace claims it was not involved in the events, but many Thai people, along with political and monarchy experts, see it as another example of the constitutional monarch’s behind-the-scenes power.”If the king didn’t give a nod, this never would have been possible,” said Sulak Siwalak, a prominent social critic and author of books on the role of the monarchy in Thailand.”Thaksin failed to realise that the king has been on the throne for 60 years and he’s no fool.The man is old and Thaksin thought he could play around with him – and it was a dangerous game,” said Sulak.There was no one event that led to Thaksin’s ouster, but a series of missteps that prompted many to accuse the prime minister of challenging the king’s authority.Thaksin defied months of street protests and demands for him to resign amid allegations of corruption, election violations and a worsening Muslim insurgency in the south.Chief among Thaksin’s flaws was his personality.He proved to be ambitious, conservative and strong-willed, refusing to correct himself when his policies backfired – particularly in the case of a strong-armed military approach to violence in the south, where more than 1 700 people have died over the past two years.Critics call him self-centred and arrogant.Nampa-AP