Finland plot
The term Finland plot ( Thai : แผน ฟินแลนด์, ยุทธศาสตร์ ฟินแลนด์, ปฏิญญา ฟินแลนด์ , also Finland Plan , Finland Strategy or Finland Declaration ) refers to an alleged plan of the former Prime Minister of Thailand Thaksin Shinawatra and left-wing students who target the Aimed at abolishing the monarchy in Thailand. The existence of this plan was claimed by Sondhi Limthongkul ( PAD ). The allegations had a negative impact on the appearance of Thaksin's government, although no concrete evidence of the plan could ever be produced. Thaksin and the then ruling party Thai Rak Thai fought against Limthongkul's claims, but were overthrown in a military coup in September 2006.
background
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra had been exposed to major protests since April 2005 at the latest because of his influence on television programming (including the cancellation of Sondhi Limthongkul's television program Mueang Thai Rai Sapda ), his plan to reform the public school system and the sale of the Shin Corporation in the January 2006.
The Finland plot
At the height of the celebrations for the 60th anniversary of King Rama IX's throne . appeared in May 2006 in the newspaper Manager Daily (owner: Sondhi Limthongkul) a series of articles, which had the Finland plot to the content. In a total of five articles, entitled “The Finland Strategy: Thailand's Plan for a Revolution?” It was alleged that Thaksin met with former student leaders of the 1970s democratic movement in Finland in 1999 to develop a plan for overthrow forging the monarchy and the establishment of a one-party government. The articles came from the pen of the journalist Pramote Nakhonthap and appeared on May 17, 19, 22, 23 and 24, 2006. Other alleged conspiratorial members were the members of the Thai-Rak-Thai party Prommin Lertsuridej , Chaturon Chaisaeng , Surapong Suebwonglee , Adsiorn Piangket , Sutham Saengprathum and Phumtham Wechayachai , all of whom were part of the Communist Party that was formed following the October 6, 1976 massacre.
The allegations were picked up by various prominent opponents, such as: B. Chai-anan Samrudavanija (constitutional lawyer), Senator Sophon Supapong and Thaworn Senniam (leader of the Democratic Party). No one has ever been able to produce any evidence to support the allegations. Sondhi alleged that his source was a former employee of the Thai-Rak-Thai party.
Different allegations and rejections
After the articles appeared in Manager Daily, the claims made were varied many times over. Some claimed that Thais from abroad wanted to overthrow the Chakri dynasty , which had ruled for more than 200 years . Others saw the plan as an attempt to centralize the media and to establish the king in a constitutional monarchy only as a representative of the state without real power. It was also alleged that the plan would weaken the central government in Bangkok in favor of administrations in the provinces.
All allegations, including those of a plan to seize power and establish a one-party government, have been flatly denied by Thaksin Shinawatra and the Thai-Rak-Thai party leadership.
On May 30, 2006, Thaksin and Thana Benjathikul, legal advisor to TRT, reported Sondhi and other employees of his company for defamation (libel). According to the report, the allegations made in the articles of a planned overthrow of the monarchy in Thailand were intended to damage the Thai-Rak-Thai party and make Thaksin's political future impossible.
Effects of the allegations
The publication of such grave allegations had a negative impact on the popularity of Thaksin and his government. As Prime Minister at the time, Thaksin was forced to spend part of his time asserting his political position, invoking his loyalty to the monarchy and defending against the allegations. The anti-Thaksin English-language daily The Nation stated:
“Whether or not such a plan really exists will perhaps never be proven. But Sondhi and the others should have better things to do than further aggravate the already agitated political situation with irresponsible accusations that generate further hatred and violence between the opposing groups. "
The Nation also stated that the actual existence of the Finland Plan did not matter because the accusation of invoking the monarchy was enough to harm the TRT. Several commentators pointed to the similarity of the Finland plan to allegations made by the military leadership in October 1976 when a military coup was being prepared. In fact, on September 19, 2006 , Thaksin was overthrown by the Thai military on the grounds, among other things, that he had insulted the king.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Burning Issue: Finland, monarchy: a dangerous mix , The Nation , May 25, 2006
Web links
- The Nation, Hatred debases public discourse , May 27, 2006