SHORT-LIVED REVOLT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27018, 1 March 1949, Page 5

SHORT-LIVED REVOLT

FIGHTING IN BANGKOK GOVERNMENT MAINTAINS CONTROL NZPA—Reuter—Copyright BANGKOK, Feb. 27. Fighting between naval and army elements of the Siamese services broke out in the main streets of Bangkok last night. The fighting began shortly after unknown persons seized temporary control of the Bangkok Government radio at 9.30 and announced that the Premier, Marshal Songgram Phibul, and his Cabinet had resigned. The announcement added that the new Premier was Nai Direck Jayanama, former Siamese Ambassador to London, and member of the war-time free Thai underground movement. The radio went off the air during the announcement, and when it resumed broadcasting later, it said Phibul was still Premier and the interruption was not authorised. Heavy sporadic artillery, mortar and machine-gun fire ensued at the arsenal, the Grand Palace, and near Phibul’s residence between midnight and daylight. Casualties include an unknown number of dead and wounded. A reliable eye-witness said that he saw bodies being loaded into trucks. Army-controlled armoured vehicles fought a dawn street battle with marine-manned anti-tank guns near Phibul’s residence. Vehicles and guns suffered direct hits. By noon the opposing army and navy units had ceased fighting. Meanwhile, the army-controlled and navy - controlled radios broadcast simultaneously conflicting bulletins. The army claimed to have quelled a revolt of dissident elements, while the navy-controlled radio claimed there had been “brutal fighting” after the army had opposed naval elements trying “to do their duty to the nation.” The police seized and guarded the Post Office, and both radio and air communications out of Bangkok were suspended. Round-up of Communists An undisclosed number of Siamese Army officers and 21 Chinese suspected of, being Communists have been rounded up for allegedly plotting the overthrow of the Government. An authoritative source said the plotters intended to carry out the mass murder of Ministers similar to the Burmese assassinations of July, 1947, and to seize the Government by force, failing which they would burn down the entire city. Phibul declared the plot against the Government had been totally smashed, and his Government was supremely confident of maintaining peace and order throughout Siam and safeguarding the country from the machinations of disruptive forces. Lieutenant-general Sir Neil Ritchie, Commander-in-Chief British land forces in the Far East, is now visiting Bangkok as the guest of the Siamese Government, says a Reuter correspondent. It is understood he is to meet Phibul and other Siamese leaders to discuss defence problems common to Siam and British South-East Asia.