Pallop Pinmanee
Encyclopedia
General
Pallop Pinmanee (born 25 May 1936) 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
. After the a 2006 military coup overthrew Thaksin, the military junta appointed Pallop the public relations
adviser to the Internal Security Operations Command
of Thailand.
, the so-called Young Turks
, and began his career as a commando and self-professed assassin. With his Young Turk classmates, he was involved in successful military coups against the governments of Seni Pramoj
and Tanin Kraivixien
, and an unsuccessful April Fool's Day 1981 coup against the government of Prem Tinsulanonda
. He admitted to being the mastermind behind a series of assassination
attempts against General Arthit Kamlang-ek, commander of the Army under Prem. Pallop was later "rehabilitated" and retired from the Royal Thai Army with the rank of full general in 1996, but was appointed deputy director-general of the Internal Security Operations Command
. It was in this position that he ordered military forces to storm Krue Sae Mosque during a tense stand-off with Southern insurgents
. Dozens of insurgents died in the controversial move.
Some time 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
.
Pallop is married to Khunying Naruedee Pinmanee. He has a son and two daughters.
.
He took part in special guerrilla warfare missions in Laos in 1966 and 1967, and the following year was appointed chief of the Special Thai Ranger Army, a volunteer unit which carried out clandestine, anti-communist guerrilla operations financed by the US Central Intelligence Agency
against the North Vietnamese Army along the Ho Chi Minh Trail
in Laos
. In 1970, he was appointed leader of a secret seven-man unit that carried out extrajudicial killings. “The assignment was to kill the leaders of communist groups all over Thailand,” he told a reporter. He claimed to have assassinated many suspected communists.
Pallop was appointed a senator by the military led government in 1979, and became commander of the 19th Infantry Regiment in 1980. He also played a role in operations in the Thai-Cambodian border during 1986 and 1987.
Pallop is known to have been involved in several coups. Along with other members of "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 ultra-conservative 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 continued to support Prem, the coup collapsed and Pallop fled to the Lao PDR to escape punishment. He was jailed for two months by the Laotian government. Pallop later admitted that he was the mastermind behind a series of assassination
attempts against General Arthit Kamlang-ek, commander of the Army during Prem's administration.
Pallop was eventually allowed to rejoin the Royal Thai Army, and retired with the rank of full general in 1996, when he was appointed deputy director-general of the Internal Security Operations Command
.
. On 28 April 2004, more than 100 militants carried out attacks against 10 police stations across Pattani
, Yala
and Songkhla
provinces in southern Thailand. 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."
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. 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. Pallop later demanded that the Defense Minister stop any involvement in the management of the southern insurgency.
. 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).” He also threatened Thaksin with a military coup if Thaksin did not resign from the premiership.
. 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. 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. The bomb was composed of sticks of a remote control unit, M-8 military fuses, TNT, C-4
plastic explosives, and nine plastic containers containing ammonium nitrate fuel oil (ANFO)
.
Pallop denied all involvement, noting that "If had wanted to do it, I would have done it more subtly. In my career, I have led death squads. If I had wanted to kill him, the prime minister would not have escaped." He also claimed that "the explosives were being transported, they were not assembled to be detonated."
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Pallop Pinmanee (born 25 May 1936) is a retired 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...
Army general who took part in several coups, ordered the massacre of insurgents at Krue Sae Mosque
Krue Sae Mosque
Krue Sae Mosque or Krue Se Mosque , is located in Pattani Province, Thailand. It was begun in about 1583, but was never completed because of a power struggle between the sultan of Pattani and his brother...
and allegedly played a role in the attempted car bomb assassination of Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
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....
. After the a 2006 military coup overthrew Thaksin, the military junta appointed Pallop the public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
adviser to the Internal Security Operations Command
Internal Security Operations Command
The Internal Security Operations Command is a unit of the Thai military devoted to national security issues. It was responsible for suppression of leftist groups during the 1970s and 1980s during which it was implicated in numerous atrocities against activists and civilians. The modern ISOC was...
of Thailand.
Military career
Pallop graduated from Class 7 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:...
, the so-called Young Turks
Young Turks
The Young Turks , from French: Les Jeunes Turcs) were a coalition of various groups favouring reformation of the administration of the Ottoman Empire. The movement was against the absolute monarchy of the Ottoman Sultan and favoured a re-installation of the short-lived Kanûn-ı Esâsî constitution...
, and began his career as a commando and self-professed assassin. With his Young Turk classmates, he was involved in successful military coups against the governments of Seni Pramoj
Seni Pramoj
Mom Rajawongse Seni Pramoj was three times the prime minister of Thailand and a politician in the Democrat Party. A member of the Thai royal family, he was a descendant of King Rama II.-Biography:...
and Tanin Kraivixien
Tanin Kraivixien
Tanin Kraivixien or Thanin Kraivixien was the prime minister of Thailand between 1976 and 1977. Tanin is a son of Hae and Pa-ob Kraivixien, and is of Chinese-Thai descent. Tanin studied law at Thammasat University, graduating in 1948. He then went to the London School of Economics to continue with...
, and an unsuccessful April Fool's Day 1981 coup against the government of 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....
. He admitted to being the mastermind behind a series of assassination
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
attempts against General Arthit Kamlang-ek, commander of the Army under Prem. Pallop was later "rehabilitated" and retired from the Royal Thai Army with the rank of full general in 1996, but was appointed deputy director-general of the Internal Security Operations Command
Internal Security Operations Command
The Internal Security Operations Command is a unit of the Thai military devoted to national security issues. It was responsible for suppression of leftist groups during the 1970s and 1980s during which it was implicated in numerous atrocities against activists and civilians. The modern ISOC was...
. It was in this position that he ordered military forces to storm Krue Sae Mosque during a tense stand-off with Southern insurgents
South Thailand insurgency
An ethnic separatist insurgency is taking place in Southern Thailand, predominantly in the Malay Pattani region, made up of the three southernmost provinces of Thailand. Violence has increasingly spilling over into other provinces...
. Dozens of insurgents died in the controversial move.
Some time 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
People's Alliance for Democracy
The People's Alliance for Democracy also called the National Liberation Alliance - กลุ่มพันธมิตรกู้ชาติ, Thai Patriots Network or the Yellow Shirts - เสื้อเหลือง - was originally a coalition of protesters against Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Prime Minister of Thailand. Its leaders include...
.
Pallop is married to Khunying Naruedee Pinmanee. He has a son and two daughters.
Early life and career
Pallop was a member of Class 7 of the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy, where he developed a close personal friendship with his classmate Chamlong SrimuangChamlong 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...
.
He took part in special guerrilla warfare missions in Laos in 1966 and 1967, and the following year was appointed chief of the Special Thai Ranger Army, a volunteer unit which carried out clandestine, anti-communist guerrilla operations financed by the US Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
against the North Vietnamese Army along the Ho Chi Minh Trail
Ho Chi Minh trail
The Ho Chi Minh trail was a logistical system that ran from the Democratic Republic of Vietnam to the Republic of Vietnam through the neighboring kingdoms of Laos and Cambodia...
in Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
. In 1970, he was appointed leader of a secret seven-man unit that carried out extrajudicial killings. “The assignment was to kill the leaders of communist groups all over Thailand,” he told a reporter. He claimed to have assassinated many suspected communists.
Pallop was appointed a senator by the military led government in 1979, and became commander of the 19th Infantry Regiment in 1980. He also played a role in operations in the Thai-Cambodian border during 1986 and 1987.
Pallop is known to have been involved in several coups. Along with other members of "Young Turks", he helped topple the elected government of Seni Pramoj
Seni Pramoj
Mom Rajawongse Seni Pramoj was three times the prime minister of Thailand and a politician in the Democrat Party. A member of the Thai royal family, he was a descendant of King Rama II.-Biography:...
after the massacre of 6 October 1976
6 October 1976 Massacre
The Thammasat University Massacre, or Massacre of 6 October 1976 , was an attack on students and protesters that occurred on the campus of Thammasat University and at Sanam Luang in Bangkok. Students from various universities were demonstrating against the return to Thailand of Field Marshal...
. He also took part in the coup against the ultra-conservative government of Tanin Kraivixien
Tanin Kraivixien
Tanin Kraivixien or Thanin Kraivixien was the prime minister of Thailand between 1976 and 1977. Tanin is a son of Hae and Pa-ob Kraivixien, and is of Chinese-Thai descent. Tanin studied law at Thammasat University, graduating in 1948. He then went to the London School of Economics to continue with...
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 continued to support Prem, the coup collapsed and Pallop fled to the Lao PDR to escape punishment. He was jailed for two months by the Laotian government. Pallop later admitted that he was the mastermind behind a series of assassination
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
attempts against General Arthit Kamlang-ek, commander of the Army during Prem's administration.
Pallop was eventually allowed to rejoin the Royal Thai Army, and retired with the rank of full general in 1996, when he was appointed deputy director-general of the Internal Security Operations Command
Internal Security Operations Command
The Internal Security Operations Command is a unit of the Thai military devoted to national security issues. It was responsible for suppression of leftist groups during the 1970s and 1980s during which it was implicated in numerous atrocities against activists and civilians. The modern ISOC was...
.
Krue Sae mosque incident
Pallop was appointed commander of the Southern Peace Enhancement Center to deal with the insurgency in southern ThailandSouth Thailand insurgency
An ethnic separatist insurgency is taking place in Southern Thailand, predominantly in the Malay Pattani region, made up of the three southernmost provinces of Thailand. Violence has increasingly spilling over into other provinces...
. On 28 April 2004, more than 100 militants carried out attacks against 10 police stations across Pattani
Pattani Province
Pattani is one of the southern provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Narathiwat, Yala and Songkhla.-Geography:...
, Yala
Yala Province
Yala is the southernmost province of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Songkhla, Pattani and Narathiwat. Yala is the only land-locked province in the south of Thailand...
and Songkhla
Songkhla Province
Songkhla is one of the southern provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Satun, Phatthalung, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Pattani and Yala. To the south it borders Kedah and Perlis of Malaysia....
provinces in southern Thailand. 32 insurgents retreated to the Krue Sae Mosque
Krue Sae Mosque
Krue Sae Mosque or Krue Se Mosque , is located in Pattani Province, Thailand. It was begun in about 1583, but was never completed because of a power struggle between the sultan of Pattani and his brother...
, the main mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
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."
It was revealed that Pallop's order to storm the mosque contravened a direct order by Defense Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh
Chavalit Yongchaiyudh
General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh is a Thai politician and retired general. He was Thailand's 22nd Prime Minister from 1996 to 1997. He is of Sino-Thai and ethnic Lao descent....
to seek a peaceful resolution to the stand-off no matter how long it took. 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
Asian Centre for Human Rights
The Asian Centre for Human Rights is a NGO dedicated to the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the Asian region. It is headquartered in New Delhi, India...
questioned the independence and impartiality of the investigative commission. In 3 May 2004 during a Senate hearing, Senator Kraisak Choonhavan
Kraisak Choonhavan
Kraisak Choonhavan is a Thai politician. He was a member of the Senate for Nakhon Ratchasima Province from 2000 till 2006.Born as son of former prime minister General Chatichai Choonhavan and Than Phu Ying Bunruen Choonhavan, Kraisak received a Bachelor Degree in International Relations at the...
, 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
Chavalit Yongchaiyudh
General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh is a Thai politician and retired general. He was Thailand's 22nd Prime Minister from 1996 to 1997. He is of Sino-Thai and ethnic Lao descent....
, who was also director of the ISOC. Pallop later demanded that the Defense Minister stop any involvement in the management of the southern insurgency.
Opposition to Thaksin Shinawatra
Pallop is a noted critic of former prime minister Thaksin ShinawatraThaksin 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....
. 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)
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...
in his move (to oust Thaksin).” He also threatened Thaksin with a military coup if Thaksin did not resign from the premiership.
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 4.5 kg of explosives around the residence of prime minister Thaksin ShinawatraThaksin 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....
. 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. 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. The bomb was composed of sticks of a remote control unit, M-8 military fuses, TNT, C-4
C-4 (explosive)
C4 or Composition C4 is a common variety of the plastic explosive known as Composition C.-Composition and manufacture:C4 is made up of explosives, plastic binder, plasticizer and usually marker or odorizing taggant chemicals such as 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-dinitrobutane to help detect the explosive and...
plastic explosives, and nine plastic containers containing ammonium nitrate fuel oil (ANFO)
ANFO
ANFO is a widely used bulk industrial explosive mixture. It consists of 94 percent porous prilled ammonium nitrate , that acts as the oxidizing agent and absorbent for the fuel — six percent Number 2 Fuel Oil...
.
Pallop denied all involvement, noting that "If had wanted to do it, I would have done it more subtly. In my career, I have led death squads. If I had wanted to kill him, the prime minister would not have escaped." He also claimed that "the explosives were being transported, they were not assembled to be detonated."
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.Further reading
- Fire on South, a collection of articles from The NationThe Nation (Thailand)The Nation is a broadsheet, English-language daily newspaper founded in 1971 and published in Bangkok, Thailand, and is owned by the Nation Multimedia Group.The Nation is a member of the Asia News Network...
on major incidents in the South Thailand insurgencySouth Thailand insurgencyAn ethnic separatist insurgency is taking place in Southern Thailand, predominantly in the Malay Pattani region, made up of the three southernmost provinces of Thailand. Violence has increasingly spilling over into other provinces...
. - Tak Bai and Krue Sae Report, summary of the official investigative report on the storming of Krue Sae Mosque.