Royalist adviser declares there is an anti-monarchy plot

Thawil (a Bangkok Post photo)

In a recent post, PPT mentioned Thawil Pliensri, the former secretary-general of the National Security Council who is now an adviser to the prime minister. There we noted his opposition to proposed amendments to the lese majeste law.

Remarkably, the Bangkok Post now writes that Thawil is one of those who believes there is an “organised movement in the country is trying to overthrow the monarchy…”. This is from a person who is “advising” Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. It should be recalled that the very center of the “map” of the imagined plot is Thaksin Shinawatra (see below).

The anti-monarchy plot diagram

Thawil apparently made the claim “during three hours of testimony to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) about a chart…, drawn up by state agencies, which purportedly shows how the movement works.” DSI is said to want to “know who exactly was responsible for the chart naming people said to be involved in the anti-monarchy movement.”

The chart was presented to the public as part of the Abhisit Vejjajiva regime’s Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation’s claims that the red shirt protests in 2010 were part of a republican plot.

Thawil, who should know, “told them many state agencies had helped create the chart and there was evidence and witnesses to prove some of those mentioned had broken the law and offended the monarchy.” He added that some of these alleged plotters “have been prosecuted and some have escaped…”. He did admit that “some people included in the chart were not proven to be wrongdoers.”

Thawil deduced that the alleged

offences against the royal institution were numerous and conducted through many channels in such a way that it could be assumed there was an organised anti-monarchy movement.

None of this sounds any different from the claims at the time by the Abhisit regime. Indeed, the DSI say that “Thawil’s testimony was similar to that of CRES spokesman Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd.”

In this context, what are we to make of the fact that Thawil is an adviser to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra? In fact, not too much. Readers might recall that Thawil was part of the government’s shuffle of police to allow Police General Priewphan Damapong to become police chief. This required the transfer of Abhisit favorite Wichien Potposri from police chief to head of the National Security Council. That saw a very unhappy Thawil shifted to the “adviser” position. At the time the very bitter Thawil said:

“I am sorry the position of NSC secretary-general, which is highly prestigious, has been used only to serve the purpose of the political sector. From the very beginning of this move, a political postition holder full of prejudice and abuse of power has spoken about me in a sarcastic   and scornful manner.

“But the prime minister, who is my direct supervisor, has not come out to protect me, her direct subordinate,” Mr Thawil said.

Hence, his current statements confirm that he probably has a “difficult” relationship with the current government and that his views when NSC boss, fighting the “disloyal” Thaksin, Puea Thai and red shirts, are essentially unchanged. They are a statement of a disgruntled royalist official.

Of course, he should be sacked. That may be more easily said than done, but anything less would indicate an even more remarkable political shift by the Yingluck government than anyone has seen to date. Doing nothing and implicitly accepting Thawil’s royalist nonsense would seriously challenge the increasingly shaky link between the government and its supporters.