Saturday, October 11, 2008

Anupong Paochinda is up to No Coup

Thailand's army chief Gen. Anupong Paochinda (Thai: อนุพงษ์ เผ่าจินดา) has pledged not to intervene in the political crisis after pressure mounted on him to take action to stop the political turmoil.

People hardly know that his birthday was yesterday, but he is making front page news headlines anyway. Oh, and that rhyme was unintentional.

General Anupong Paochinda

Happy Birthday General Anupong!


Here are some of the quotes he said sometime back and now:

"If the people are one, we are with the people. But, if the people are in parts, there is no place for us." - Gen. Anupong expressed his standpoint after having been charged with duties to remedy the State of Emergency in Bangkok.

"I'm not afraid of anything - he should know my background - but may I ask him to take responsibility for the wrong decision he made on the night of October 6-7?" - Gen. Anupong said on Thai TV Channel 3 today rejecting former deputy prime minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh's call for military intervention to break the political impasse.

"We are a people's army, but it is impossible in one country to have the military fight the police in league with a certain group of people. Taking any side will not end the story." - Gen. Anupong said on Thai TV Channel 3 today in response to PAD's (The People's Alliance for Democracy) call on him to join with them in fighting the police and the government.

Profile of Anuphong Phaochinda:
Title: Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army
Date of Birth: 10th October 1949
Wife: Kunlaya Paochinda (Thai: กุลยา เผ่าจินดา)
Children: A son named Yutthaphong Paochinda (Thai: ยุทธพงษ์ เผ่าจินดา), and a daughter named Wimalin Paochinda (Thai: วิมลิน เผ่าจินดา)
Hobbies: A big fan of The Beatles and fond of playing the drums!

Click here for his wikipedia page, and here for a short biography of General Anupong Paochinda in Thai.

No comments: