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Gen Prawit: Army 'able to protect national sovereignty'

Defense Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan said on Monday he is confident that the Royal Thai Army can protect the country's national sovereignty following a border dispute with Cambodia in the area surrounding the Preah Vihear temple, according to a National News Bureau report.

Gen Prawit said Thailand and Cambodia had been cooperating closely in searching for solutions to the border conflict. He said that the last Thailand-Cambodia Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) meeting had been hugely successful, while a number of policies and agreements were currently being made between the neighboring countries.

The defense chief described the situation in the disputed area surrounding the temple at present as “normal”. He also said the army was capable of keeping the situation in the area under control, while also protecting the country’s national sovereignty. - National News Bureau.
 

Suthep dismisses cabinet reshuffle rumors

Following a spate of rumors in the media, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thuagsuban announced on Friday that the government was definitely not planning a cabinet reshuffle.suth.jpg

The coalition government is “strong and unified”, The Nation newspaper quoted Suthep as saying.

However, Suthep admitted that there had been attempts to drive a wedge between Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Defense Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan. Suthep ruled out any possibility that Gen Prawit may be replaced with Gen Saprang Kallayanamitr, which was the source of one rumor in the media.

The reshuffle speculation emerged after the National Anti-Corruption Commission's (NACC) issued its findings against outgoing National Police Chief Pol Gen Patcharawat Wongsuwan, who is Gen Prawit’s younger brother.

On Monday, the NACC announced that Pol Gen Patcharawat had been found guilty of criminal offences under Article 157 of the Criminal Code and a serious breach of discipline for not giving an order to end police action after two protesters from the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) were killed in a police crackdown on the morning of October 7, 2008. Nearly 500 people were injured during the clashes, according to a Xinhua News Agency report. – Xinhua, Agencies.