Latest news with #ISOC
The Star
25-06-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Thai Army chief orders Internal Security Operations Command to support operations along Cambodian border
BANGKOK: Army chief General Pana Klaewplodthuk on Wednesday (June 25) directed the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) to support the operations of the First and Second Army Areas in maintaining security along the Thai-Cambodian border. The order was issued as Gen Pana chaired a meeting with ISOC and its affiliated agencies at the ISOC headquarters. The army chief serves as the ex-officio deputy director of ISOC, while the prime minister is the ex-officio director. Senior military officials in attendance included Gen Ekkarat Changkaew, assistant ISOC director; Gen Thongchai Rodyoi, ISOC secretary-general; and Maj Gen Thammanoon Maisont, ISOC spokesman. According to Maj Gen Thammanoon, the army chief instructed ISOC to utilise its regional and provincial branches to reinforce and support the First and Second Army Areas, which are responsible for defending Thai territory along the eastern border. Psychological operations and intelligence support ordered Gen Pana also directed ISOC to conduct psychological operations to engage with and gain the trust of local communities, encouraging their cooperation with military security efforts along the border. He further ordered ISOC to mobilise its intelligence network to support security operations on both the eastern and southern borders. This includes efforts to prevent the smuggling of migrant workers and to counteract groups with malicious intent against the state. Community networks to play key role The army chief instructed ISOC to make full use of its community-based mass networks to gather early warning information and support proactive territorial defence by the army. These directives followed briefings from ISOC-affiliated agencies detailing their support for the government's ongoing crackdown on online scam gangs operating from Cambodia. The agencies also reported successes in intercepting drug smuggling operations along both the eastern and southern borders. - The Nation/ANN
The Star
29-04-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Thai Army defends lèse-majesté charges against American academic
FILE - US political science lecturer Paul Chambers, left, of Thailand's Naresuan University, stands outside the police station in Phitsanulok, Thailand, where he was arrested on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, on charges of insulting the monarchy. - AP BANGKOK: The Royal Thai Army (RTA) has defended legal action taken against an American academic for alleged lèse-majesté, while the opposition People's Party (PP) criticised the move, claiming it has stalled trade negotiations with the United States. RTA spokesman Maj Gen Winthai Suvari issued a statement on Monday (April 28) to clarify the lèse-majesté charges against Dr Paul Chambers, a lecturer at Naresuan University. Chambers surrendered to police on 8 April and was released on bail the following day with a surety of 300,000 baht (US$8998). Maj Gen Winthai stated that he needed to address the issue after Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) Area 3 representatives provided incomplete information during their appearance before the House Committee on Military Affairs on 24 April. According to the statement, ISOC Area 3 filed a complaint under Article 112 of the Criminal Code at Muang Phitsanulok Police Station on 27 February. Winthai stressed that this article allows any member of the public to report lèse-majesté offences they have witnessed. He added that the complaint was made after ISOC was alerted by members of the public who claimed Chambers had expressed personal opinions in a way that allegedly harmed the monarchy's reputation. Winthai denied allegations from the PP that ISOC invoked Article 7 of the Internal Security Act, explaining that the law applies only to special security situations, such as the insurgency in Thailand's deep South. Maj Gen Winthai also reprimanded PP Members of Parliament for their behaviour during the House committee session. He claimed ISOC representatives were humiliated with demeaning terms, including 'stupid', 'power-hungry', and 'lacking intelligence and English skills'. The spokesman reaffirmed that although Dr Chambers is an American citizen, he must be held accountable under Thai law, as he lives and works in Thailand. PP deputy leader Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn disputed Winthai's claim that ISOC acted merely as concerned citizens. He argued that the complaint was filed in an official capacity by ISOC Area 3 commander Lt Gen Kittipong Chamsuwan, making it a formal action by a state security agency. Wiroj further claimed that ISOC abused its authority by using summary notes from a seminar—which Chambers did not author—as evidence. The notes were produced by the ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute, the event organiser. Wiroj cited former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who recently stated that lawsuits involving American citizens had disrupted Thai–US trade negotiations, potentially exposing Thailand to punitive import tariffs. Although Thaksin did not name Chambers directly, many believe he was referring to the case. Wiroj urged Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to acknowledge the impact of the Chambers case, accusing the civilian government of allowing continued military overreach. PP deputy leader Sirikanya Tansakun echoed Wiroj's concerns, insisting that Prime Minister Paetongtarn must personally address the issue instead of relying on her father, Thaksin, to speak on her behalf. She demanded that the prime minister explain how her government plans to resolve the Chambers matter to safeguard the trade talks. In a separate statement, ISOC spokesman Maj Gen Thammanoon Maison insisted that the case against Dr Chambers was strictly a matter of domestic internal security and should not be connected to international trade relations. - The Nation/ANN
