Manoonkrit Roopkachorn
Encyclopedia
Major General
Manoonkrit Roopkachorn (born Manoon Roopkachorn, 13 December 1935 in Ayutthaya province
) is a former Thai
military officer, Senator and Speaker of the Senate. A leader of the "Young Turks" clique of military officers, he took part in the coups of 1976 and 1977, the unsuccessful coups of 1981 and 1985, and 2002 corruption case of Prime Minister Thaksin.
in its 7th Class, along with classmates Sanan Kachornprasart
, Chamlong Srimuang
, and Pallop Pinmanee
.
led by Suchinda Kraprayoon
; the "Democratic Soldiers", mostly staff officers in counter-insurgency planning; and the military leadership, such as Generals Arthit Kamlangek
and Pichit Kullavanij, both with close ties to the palace, and Chaovalit Yongchaiyuth, a loyalist to Prime Minister General Prem Tinsulanonda
. The Young Turks were increasingly frustrated by the military leadership, which they claim had "allowed themselves to be subservient to the rotten political system just to live happily with benefits handed to them by (corrupt) politicians."
On 1 April 1981, the Young Turks took over Bangkok in a bloodless coup of overwhelming military force, without the pre-approval of King Bhumibol Adulyadej
. The Thai royal family immediately fled to Korat
province along with Prime Minister Prem Tinsulanonda
. With royal support for the Government made clear, Arthit Kamlangek
led troops loyal to Chaovalit Yongchaiyuth and Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy
Class 5 in a bloodless counter-coup that recaptured the capital. The coup later became known as the April Fool's Day Coup or the Mesa Hawaii Coup.
, former Supreme Commander General Serm Na Nakhon, former Army chief General Yos Thephasdin, former Air Force chief Marshall Krasae Satharat and former Air Force chief Marshall Arum Promthep. The pre-dawn coup consisted of several hundred men and twenty-two tanks. Within 10 hours, government troops led by General Chaovalit Yongchaiyuth quelled the bloody rebellion. There are 59 injuries, 5 casualties, 2 of them foreign journalists. Over 40 active and former military officers were arrested. Exiled pyramid scheme
operator Ekkayuth Anchanbutr
was widely cited as a financier of the coup, leading some to call the coup the "Share Rebellion".
of the Democrat Party.
province in 4 March 2001. He won 140,000 votes, but was disqualified after being accused of buying votes. Manoonkrit won again in the second round of voting on 29 April. His victory was later endorsed due to lack of evidence of fraud.
Manoonkrit won a majority 114 votes in a secret ballot over three other candidates for Speaker of the 200-member Senate.
judges — Kramol Thongdharmachart, Phan Chanpan, Sak Techacharn and Jumpol na Songkhla — in connection with their rulings on the asset-concealment case against the Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra
, which then triggered major legal questions and a constitutional paradox. President Uthai Pimchaichon, who was also speaker of the House of Representatives
, asked the Constitution Court to block the investigation launched by the NCCC. "Apart from the tough questions of whether the NCCC was empowered to investigate Constitution Court judges, and whether the court could stop such a probe, the country was threatened with parallel showdowns between key political institutions - NCCC versus the Constitution Court and the Senate versus the House of Representatives. The Administrative Court
was also dragged into the fray, following a petition by three of the investigated judges."
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Manoonkrit Roopkachorn (born Manoon Roopkachorn, 13 December 1935 in Ayutthaya province
Ayutthaya Province
Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya is one of the central provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Ang Thong, Lop Buri, Saraburi, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Nakhon Pathom and Suphan Buri....
) is a former Thai
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
military officer, Senator and Speaker of the Senate. A leader of the "Young Turks" clique of military officers, he took part in the coups of 1976 and 1977, the unsuccessful coups of 1981 and 1985, and 2002 corruption case of Prime Minister Thaksin.
Early life and career
Manoon graduated from the Chulachomklao Royal Military AcademyChulachomklao Royal Military Academy
Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy or CRMA is the military academy of Royal Thai Army. Established in 1887 it has graduated the vast majority of Thailand's military leaders and many of them become Thai Prime Ministers.-History:...
in its 7th Class, along with classmates Sanan Kachornprasart
Sanan Kachornprasart
Sanan Kachornprasart is a Thai politician and military officer . He was deputy prime minister in the cabinet of Abhisit Vejjajiva, and is Chief Adviser of the Chartthaipattana Party.-Military service:...
, Chamlong Srimuang
Chamlong Srimuang
Major General Chamlong Srimuang is a controversial Thai activist and former politician. A former general, he was a leader of the "Young Turks" military clique, founded and led the Phalang Dharma party, served for six years as governor of Bangkok, led the anti-military uprising of May 1992, and...
, and Pallop Pinmanee
Pallop Pinmanee
General Pallop Pinmanee is a retired Thai Army general 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...
.
Attempted coup of 1981
Important military factions in the early 1980s included the Young Turks; the fifth class of the Chulachomklao Royal Military AcademyChulachomklao Royal Military Academy
Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy or CRMA is the military academy of Royal Thai Army. Established in 1887 it has graduated the vast majority of Thailand's military leaders and many of them become Thai Prime Ministers.-History:...
led by Suchinda Kraprayoon
Suchinda Kraprayoon
Suchinda Kraprayoon was Prime Minister of Thailand from 7 April 1992 until 24 May 1992.Suchinda, son of Juang and Sompong Kraprayoon, was born 6 August 1933 in the province of Nakhon Pathom, Thailand, and is of Chinese and Mon descent...
; the "Democratic Soldiers", mostly staff officers in counter-insurgency planning; and the military leadership, such as Generals Arthit Kamlangek
Arthit Kamlangek
General Arthit Kamlang-ek was the former Commander in Chief of the Royal Thai Army and the Supreme Commander of the Thai Armed Forces. He was particularly influential during the 1980s during the government of Prem Tinsulanonda.-Education and early career:...
and Pichit Kullavanij, both with close ties to the palace, and Chaovalit Yongchaiyuth, a loyalist to Prime Minister General Prem Tinsulanonda
Prem Tinsulanonda
General Prem Tinsulanonda is a retired Thai military officer who served as Prime Minister of Thailand from March 3, 1980 to August 4, 1988. He now serves as the Head of the Privy Council of the King of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej....
. The Young Turks were increasingly frustrated by the military leadership, which they claim had "allowed themselves to be subservient to the rotten political system just to live happily with benefits handed to them by (corrupt) politicians."
On 1 April 1981, the Young Turks took over Bangkok in a bloodless coup of overwhelming military force, without the pre-approval of King Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...
. The Thai royal family immediately fled to Korat
Korat
Korats are a slate blue-grey shorthair domestic cat with a small to medium build and a low percentage of body fat. Their bodies are semi-cobby, and surprisingly heavy for their size. They are intelligent, playful, active cats and form strong bonds with people. Among Korats' distinguishing...
province along with Prime Minister Prem Tinsulanonda
Prem Tinsulanonda
General Prem Tinsulanonda is a retired Thai military officer who served as Prime Minister of Thailand from March 3, 1980 to August 4, 1988. He now serves as the Head of the Privy Council of the King of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej....
. With royal support for the Government made clear, Arthit Kamlangek
Arthit Kamlangek
General Arthit Kamlang-ek was the former Commander in Chief of the Royal Thai Army and the Supreme Commander of the Thai Armed Forces. He was particularly influential during the 1980s during the government of Prem Tinsulanonda.-Education and early career:...
led troops loyal to Chaovalit Yongchaiyuth and Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy
Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy
Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy or CRMA is the military academy of Royal Thai Army. Established in 1887 it has graduated the vast majority of Thailand's military leaders and many of them become Thai Prime Ministers.-History:...
Class 5 in a bloodless counter-coup that recaptured the capital. The coup later became known as the April Fool's Day Coup or the Mesa Hawaii Coup.
Attempted coup of 1985
On 9 September 1985, the Young Turks again unsuccessfully attempted to topple the government of General Prem, although Prem was abroad at the time. Led by Manoon and his brother, Wing Commander Manas Roopkachorn, he was supported by former Prime Minister Kriangsak ChomananKriangsak Chomanan
General Kriangsak Chomanan served as prime minister of Thailand from 1977 to 1980.A professional soldier, General Kriangsak fought against the communists in both the Korean War and the Vietnam War...
, former Supreme Commander General Serm Na Nakhon, former Army chief General Yos Thephasdin, former Air Force chief Marshall Krasae Satharat and former Air Force chief Marshall Arum Promthep. The pre-dawn coup consisted of several hundred men and twenty-two tanks. Within 10 hours, government troops led by General Chaovalit Yongchaiyuth quelled the bloody rebellion. There are 59 injuries, 5 casualties, 2 of them foreign journalists. Over 40 active and former military officers were arrested. Exiled pyramid scheme
Pyramid scheme
A pyramid scheme is a non-sustainable business model that involves promising participants payment or services, primarily for enrolling other people into the scheme, rather than supplying any real investment or sale of products or services to the public...
operator Ekkayuth Anchanbutr
Ekkayuth Anchanbutr
Ekkayuth Anchanbutr is a Thai former pyramid scheme operator and political activist.Ekkayuth was the head of the controversial Charter Investment pyramid scheme, which collapsed in 1983. He fled to England in 1984 to avoid charges...
was widely cited as a financier of the coup, leading some to call the coup the "Share Rebellion".
Return to Thailand
Manoonkrit returned to Thai politics in the mid-1990s as an advisor to classmate Maj. Gen. Sanan KachornprasartSanan Kachornprasart
Sanan Kachornprasart is a Thai politician and military officer . He was deputy prime minister in the cabinet of Abhisit Vejjajiva, and is Chief Adviser of the Chartthaipattana Party.-Military service:...
of the Democrat Party.
Senator and Senate Speaker
Manoonkrit ran for the seat of Senator of SaraburiSaraburi
Saraburi is a town in central Thailand, capital of the Saraburi Province. As of 2005, it has a population of 61,900, and covers the complete tambon Pak Phriao of the Mueang Saraburi district....
province in 4 March 2001. He won 140,000 votes, but was disqualified after being accused of buying votes. Manoonkrit won again in the second round of voting on 29 April. His victory was later endorsed due to lack of evidence of fraud.
Manoonkrit won a majority 114 votes in a secret ballot over three other candidates for Speaker of the 200-member Senate.
Thaksin's 2002 Corruption Case
Senate Speaker Manoonkrit, citing a petition signed by some 60,000 people, forwarded a formal request to the National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC) to investigate four Constitution CourtConstitutional Court of Thailand
The Constitutional Court of Thailand is an independent Thai court originally established under the 1997 Constitution with jurisdiction over the constitutionality of parliamentary acts, royal decrees, draft legislation, as well as the appointment and removal of public officials and issues regarding...
judges — Kramol Thongdharmachart, Phan Chanpan, Sak Techacharn and Jumpol na Songkhla — in connection with their rulings on the asset-concealment case against the Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....
, which then triggered major legal questions and a constitutional paradox. President Uthai Pimchaichon, who was also speaker of the House of Representatives
House of Representatives of Thailand
The House of Representatives of the Kingdom of Thailand is the lower house of the National Assembly of Thailand, the legislative branch of the Thai Government. The system of government of Thailand is that of a Constitutional Monarchy and a Parliamentary Democracy. The system of the Thai...
, asked the Constitution Court to block the investigation launched by the NCCC. "Apart from the tough questions of whether the NCCC was empowered to investigate Constitution Court judges, and whether the court could stop such a probe, the country was threatened with parallel showdowns between key political institutions - NCCC versus the Constitution Court and the Senate versus the House of Representatives. The Administrative Court
Administrative Court
The Administrative Court is a specialist court within the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice of England and Wales. It deals mainly with administrative law matters and exercises the High Court's supervisory jurisdiction over inferior courts and tribunals .The Administrative Court...
was also dragged into the fray, following a petition by three of the investigated judges."