Pallop Pinmanee

General Pallop Pinmanee ( _th. พัลลภ ปิ่นมณี)(born 25 May 1936) is a former Thai commando and assassin who took part in several coups, ordered the massacre of insurgents at Krue Sae Mosque and allegedly played a role in the attempted car bomb assassination of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. After a 2006 military coup overthrew Thaksin, the military junta appointed Pallop public relations adviser to the Internal Security Operations Command of Thailand.

Pallop graduated from Class 7 of the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy, the so-called "Young Turks". He began his career as a commando and self-professed assassin.New York Times, [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/27/world/asia/27thai.html Thai Security Chief Vows a Tough Stand Against Muslim Separatists] , 27 May 2007] With his Young Turk classmates, he was involved in military coups against the governments of Seni Pramoj, Tanin Kraivixien, and the unsuccessful 1981 coup against the government of Prem Tinsulanonda. He admitted to being the mastermind behind a series of assassination attempts against General Arthit Kam _ek. Southern insurgents. Dozens of insurgents died in the controversial move.

Later, Pallop's driver was found driving near the residence of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in a car containing 67 kilograms of explosives. Pallop was immediately dismissed from his position. After the Thaksin government was deposed by a military coup, the junta appointed Pallop public relations adviser to the ISOC. Pallop later became a leader of the People's Alliance for Democracy. [The Malaysian Insider, [http://themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/world/8266-feared-thai-ex-general-warns-of-bloodshed Feared Thai ex-general warns of bloodshed] , 1 September 2008]

Pallop is married to Khunying Naruedee Pinmanee. [Bangkok Post, [http://www.bangkokpost.com/150106_Perspect...2006_pers03.php General urges two-pronged attack] , 15 January 2006] He has a son and two daughters.

Early life and career

http://www.thairakthai.or.th/about/list/history/panlop.htm Profile at Thai Rak Thai party website] ] He graduated from Class 7 of the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy. There, he developed a close personal friendship with classmate Chamlong Srimuang. [ [http://www.irrawaddy.org/aviewer.asp?a=5488&z=154 Sutin Wannabovorn, "Thai Ruling Party Lawmakers Sour on Thaksin", 21 February 2006] ]

Pallop took part in special guerrilla warfare missions in Laos from 1966-1967. In 1968, he was appointed chief of the Special Thai Ranger Army, a volunteer unit which carried out clandestine, anti-communist guerrilla mercenary operations for the US Central Intelligence Agency along the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos and Vietnam. [ [http://bangkokpost.net/News/25Aug2006_news04.php Bangkok Post, "A controversial figure", 25 August 2006] ] In 1970, he was the leader of a secret seven-man army unit that carried out extrajudicial killings. “The assignment was to kill the leaders of communist groups all over Thailand,” he told a reporter. He assassinated "many, many" suspected communists, he admitted. He was appointed a senator by the military regime in 1979, and became commander of the 19th Infantry Regiment in 1980. He also played a role in operations in the Thai-Cambodian border from 1986-1987. [ [http://www.bangkokpost.com/150106_Perspective/15Jan2006_pers03.php Bangkok Post, "General urges two-pronged attack", 15 January 2006] ]

Pallop has been involved in several coups. [ [http://bangkokpost.net/News/25Aug2006_news04.php Bangkok Post, "A controversial figure", 25 August 2006] ] Along with other members of Class 7 of the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy (who nicknamed themselves the "Young Turks"), he helped topple the elected government of Seni Pramoj after the massacre of 6 October 1976. He also took part in the coup against the government of Tanin Kraivixien in 1977. During the Prem government, the Young Turks tried to seize power on 1 April 1981. When it became clear that the royal family supported Prem, the coup collapsed and Pallop went into exile in Laos to escape punishment. He was jailed in Laos for two months. Pallop later admitted that he was the mastermind behind a series of assassination attempts against General Arthit Kam _ek. insurgency in southern Thailand. On 28 April 2004, more than 100 militants carried out attacks against 10 police staions across Pattani, Yala and Songkhla provinces in southern Thailand. [ [http://www.nationmultimedia.com/specials/south2years/apr2906.php The Nation, "Shattered by horrific events", 29 April 2006] ] 32 insurgents retreated to the Krue Sae Mosque, the main mosque in Pattani. A seven hour stand-off ended when Pallop, the most senior Army commander on the scene, ordered an assault on the mosque. All the insurgents were killed. He later said, "I had no choice. I was afraid that as time passed the crowd would become sympathetic to the insurgents, to the point of trying to rescue them." [ [http://www.nationmultimedia.com/specials/south2years/apr2904.php The Nation, "Southern Carnage: Kingdom Shaken", 29 April 2004] ]

It was revealed that Pallop's order to storm the mosque contravened a direct order by Defense Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh to seek a peaceful resolution to the stand-off no matter how long it took. [ [http://www.countercurrents.org/hr-achr060504.htm Asian Centre for Human Rights, "Killings At Pattani's Krue Se Mosque And A Cover Up Enquiry"] ] Pallop was immediately ordered out of the area, and later tendered his resignation as commander of the Southern Peace Enhancement Center. The forward command of the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC), which Pallop headed, was also dissolved. A government investigative commission found that the security forces had over-reacted. The Asian Centre for Human Rights questioned the independence and impartiality of the investigative commission. In 3 May 2004 during a Senate hearing, Senator Kraisak Choonhavan, noted that most of those killed at Krue Se Mosque were shot in the head and there were signs that rope had been tied around their wrists.

The incident resulted in a personal conflict between Pallop and Defense Minister Chavalit, who was also director of the ISOC. [ [http://www.seasite.niu.edu/hartmann/TranslationProject/a101_120/a105.htm Wassana Nanuam, "Panlop to face trial for the storming of Krue Se mosque"] ] Pallop later demanded that the Defense Minister stop any involvement in the management of the southern insurgency. [ [http://www.seasite.niu.edu/hartmann/TranslationProject/a81_100/a85.htm Wassana Nanuam, "Security conflicts erupt in open"] ]

Opposition to Thaksin Shinawatra

Pallop is a noted critic of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. During protests in early 2006 against Thaksin, Pallop noted that “as a real friend and former classmate from military school, I fully support Chamlong (Srimuang) in his move (to oust Thaksin).” [ [http://www.irrawaddy.org/aviewer.asp?a=5488&z=154 Sutin Wannabovorn, "Thai Ruling Party Lawmakers Sour on Thaksin", 21 February 2006] ] He also threatened Thaksin with a military coup if Thaksin did not resign from the premiership. [ [http://groups.google.cg/group/soc.culture.thai/msg/f9152f0e09a8a0c7?dmode=source&hl=fr Bangkok Post, "Panlop: Military coup possible", 27 February 2006] ]

Assassination plot against Thaksin Shinawatra

Pallop was sacked from his position of ISOC Deputy Director after Lieutenant Thawatchai Klinchana, his driver, was found driving a car containing 67kg of explosives around the residence of prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Metropolitan Police Bureau commissioner Lt-General Wiroj Jantharangsee noted that the explosives in the car were completely assembled, equipped with a remote unit sensor and ready to be detonated, and would have a blast radius of around one kilometre. [ [http://nationmultimedia.com/2006/08/25/headlines/headlines_30011945.php The Nation, 'Bomb plot to kill Thaksin foiled', questions linger, 15 August 2006] ] Pol Major Kamthorn Ooycharoen, head of the police bomb-disposal squad at the scene, also noted that the bomb was live and ready for detonation. [ [http://nationmultimedia.com/2006/08/26/politics/politics_30012040.php The Nation, "Explosives 'live and ready for detonation'", 26 August 2006] ] The bomb was composed of sticks of a remote control unit, M-8 military fuses, TNT, C4 plastic explosives, and nine plastic containers containing ammonium nitrate fuel oil (ANFO). [ [http://bangkokpost.net/News/25Aug2006_news04.php Bangkok Post, "A controversial figure", 25 August 2006] ] [ [http://nationmultimedia.com/2006/08/26/politics/politics_30012040.php The Nation, "Explosives 'live and ready for detonation'", 26 August 2006] ]

Pallop denied all involvement, noting that "If had wanted to do it, I would have done it more subtly. In my career, I have lead death squads. If I had wanted to kill him, the prime minister would not have escaped." [http://nationmultimedia.com/2006/08/25/national/national_30011902.php The Nation, 'If I was behind it, PM would be dead', 25 August 2006, Retrieved 25 August 2006] [ [http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=112432 Bangkok Post, "Thaksin escapes bomb, fires Gen Pallop", 25 August 2006] ] [ [http://nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30011881 The Nation, "Army officer arrested in alleged car bomb attempt is Pallop's driver: police", 25 August 2006] ] He also claimed that "the explosives were being transported, they were not assembled to be detonated." [ [http://nationmultimedia.com/2006/08/25/national/national_30011902.php The Nation, "'If I was behind it, PM would be dead'", 25 August 2006] ]

After the 2006 coup

A military coup overthrew the Thaksin government in 19 September 2006. The junta appointed Pallop public relations adviser to the ISOC in May 2007. He claimed that he would apply "secret tricks" and a negotiated approach that would not lead to violent clashes. "Don't see me as a man who favours violence," he said. [Bangkok Post, [http://pages.citebite.com/p1x6i8f1s9enc Panlop plans to first tackle rallies in city] , 12 May 2007]

References

Further reading

* [http://www.nationmultimedia.com/specials/south2years/menu.php Fire on South] , a collection of articles from The Nation on major incidents in the South Thailand insurgency.
* [http://www.nationmultimedia.com/specials/takbai/index.htm Tak Bai and Krue Sae Report] , summary of the official investigative report on the storming of Krue Sae Mosque.