Rewarding an army hero

Bangkok Post

9 hours ago

Calls to extend the service of Lt Gen Boonsin Padklang, commander of the 2nd Army Region, may be understandable considering the widespread public distrust in the government's handling of the Thai-Cambodian border conflict. But such demands must not be entertained.
Recent border skirmishes have once again placed the military at the forefront of crisis management, exposing the government's weakness and fuelling questions about its competence. In this vacuum, Lt Gen Boonsin has stood out. He led troops in repelling Cambodian forces from contested areas, marking the first time in 17 years that Thailand pushed back soldiers who had entrenched themselves with outposts and structures on disputed ground.
This rare achievement earned him massive public admiration, with some now urging that his mandatory retirement at the end of September be postponed in the name of national security. Polling by the National Institute of Development Administration (Nida) last week reflected this sentiment. According to the poll, over 75% of Thais said they trusted the military to safeguard the national interest, while expressing little faith in the government or the Foreign Ministry.
Yet extending Lt Gen Boonsin's service is a different matter entirely. Retirement rules for civil servants and military officers are governed by clear laws and regulations, with effects to other promotions in the organisation. As legal scholar and veteran government adviser Tongthong Chandransu has explained, retirement is mandatory at 60, with limited exceptions only for academic positions in higher education and never for command posts.
Past extensions for executive positions, such as director-general posts, have been granted only to officials who had completed their four-year terms but had not yet reached the mandatory retirement age of 60, not to those who had already retired. Mr Tongthong's legal explanation is clear. To set aside these principles for the sake of one individual, however respected, would only undermine fairness and institutional integrity. If senior officers refuse to retire at 60, promotion queues collapse, blocking opportunities for younger, capable officers to advance. Leadership in the military or the state bureaucracy must not be centred on personalities. Lt Gen Boonsin is a highly admirable leader and exemplary soldier, but there are other officers qualified to succeed him.
That said, it would be equally wrong for the nation to let him retire into obscurity after he defended the country's sovereignty and recovered Thai territory from foreign encroachment for the first time in nearly two decades. Recognition is not only appropriate, but essential. One proposal, raised by academic Panthep Puapongpan, is the government seek a special royal conferment of the rank of general for Lt Gen Boonsin upon retirement. This is a legitimate and meaningful gesture.
Each year, dozens of generals are promoted -- many without merited achievements. Thailand's bloated corps of over 1,400 generals is well known. Granting the rank of general to Lt Gen Boonsin in acknowledgment of genuine service would be far more justified than most routine promotions. But extending his tenure beyond the mandatory retirement age must not be an option. Rules exist for a reason, and once bent for one man, they cannot easily be restored. The nation can honour Lt Gen Boonsin's contributions without undermining the foundations of a fair and orderly military system.