DATELINE BANGKOK :

CNS needs to act with decisiveness.

Thai Rath Comment : The Council for National Security (CNS) must tackle pressing problems with decisiveness if it is truly committed to returning power to the people within one year of the Sept 19, 2006 coup. Deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has continued to make headlines after the interim government of Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont decided to revoke his diplomatic passport two weeks ago, apparently to restrict his movements around the region. Mr Thaksin, however, has continued to travel.

In Singapore last week, Mr Thaksin met Deputy Prime Minister S Jayakumar in what the Singapore government called a private meeting. Thailand retaliated by cancelling a high-level meeting between the two countries and withdrawing the invitation for Foreign Minister George Yeo's visit to Bangkok on Jan 29-30.

The diplomatic row followed the New Year's Eve bombings in Bangkok and a string of arson attacks believed to be the work of those still loyal to Mr Thaksin. PM Surayud recently warned about a ''new type of threat'' and astrologers predicted bloodshed on the streets of Bangkok. All this has added to the public's anxiety and fear of an uncertain future.

The coup-makers faced a credibility crisis right from the very beginning. The world has changed, and the CNS must realise that coups d'etat are no longer accepted by democratic countries. There is no reason why the drafting of a new constitution cannot be speeded up. But the CNS is still haunted by Mr Thaksin's popularity, particularly among the rural voters. With all the power in its hands, the CNS should have no difficulty in subduing the so-called undercurrents of discontent. It should speed up the investigations into alleged corruption in the Thaksin government. There is no reason for any delay, unless the CNS has some other plan up its sleeve.

General News
Bangkok Post
Thursday January 25, 2007