WASANA NANUAM
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He calls himself a warrior, having fought in more than 200 battles in the course of his military career. His last brought the Thaksin regime down. And the battles for the little big soldier are far from over.
"I fear nothing," roars Gen Saprang Kalayanamitr, 59, deputy secretary-general of the Council for National Security. It is the same thundering voice and fearless talk that has earned this slightly-built man the nickname "lek prik khi nu" - tiny, yet hot as a chilli.
"People like me have nothing to be afraid of. I am clean. Those who are corrupt, however, must be afraid of me. And the bigger the player they are, the more I like to tackle them."
Among the eight leaders of the junta in the Council for National Security, Gen Saprang is second only to the coup leader, Gen Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, in being in the media limelight. And it is not only for his outspoken straight-talking that makes such good sound bites.
Among his tasks for the junta: Unearthing the wrongdoings of the previous regime, within the deadline of one year; leading the junta's special operation to monitor the movements of the ousted prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra; chairing the Airport of Thailand's board to investigate corruption at Suvarnabhumi Airport; and chairing the board of ToT, the state-owned telecommuncation company, to control the damage from the sale of Thaksin's Shin Corp, believed to put national security under threat.
2 comments:
How does a 161 cm man enter the Armed Forces Prep School? Isn't that too short?
I know that being from a family that has served the Chakri for the past 250 years means a lot, of course, but I just wonder how he got through the minimum height rule.
Did General Saprang attend any training in the U.S., like at the U.S. Army War College etc.? Also, it is said he has been in 200 battles. Forgive my ignorance but was Gen. Saprang in the Thai contingent in the Vietnam War? Or was he involved in the Laos operations in the Plain of Jars? I am really curious. Any information you can post regarding Gen. Saprang's ties to the U.S. I would be more than happy to read. Thanks very much for your time.
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