Wikileaks, Bowornsak and the privy council

Continuing our brief comments on several Wikileaks cable, in this post, PPT points to this cable that involves Bowornsak Uwanno, described by Ambassador Ralph “Skip” Boyce  as “a highly regarded legal scholar, [who] made headlines when he resigned [as Thaksin Shinawatra’s cabinet secretary] in June [2006], citing political conditions.” PPT once had another description of him and mentioning his record of political promiscuity.

On his resignation, Bowornsak spent some time in an elite temple and wrote articles extolling the wonders of monarchy and defending lese majeste as a process of rehabilitation to the royalist elite.

The cable refers to a visit Bowornsak made to catch up with Ambassador Boyce and exchanged phone numbers. He explained that he resigned under pressure for an unidentified privy councillor: “2. (C) Former Cabinet Secretary Borwornsak Uwanno called on the Ambassador on September 5.… He explained he had decided to resign for various reasons, including the deterioration of his public credibility as he was increasingly seen by the elite as a defender of an unpopular administration. Additionally, he cited ethical qualms…”.

He further explained that he “… accelerated his resignation under pressure from an unspecified member of the Privy Council (he would only say the person in question was neither Privy Council President Prem Tinsulanonda, nor the King’s principal private secretary, Asa Sarasin, nor a public critic of Thaksin). That Privy Councilor, citing concern for Borwornsak’s reputation, urged him to quit, and to do so without delay. Borwornsak related that after he resigned, he received congratulatory messages from all Privy Councilors.”

Bowornsak was also reported to say that the “entire Privy Council was against Thaksin, he asserted, adding that Privy Councilor Surayud Chulanont had a tape recording that featured the Prime Minister talking to members of his entourage about how to ”neutralize” (politically) the King, Thaksin asserting also that he exerted significant influence over Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn. (In an aside, Borwornsak also complained that Thaksin had spoken of the Crown Prince and written letters to him in a manner that appeared disrespectful of the Crown Prince’s royal heritage.)”