General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, the 59-year-old officer who led Tuesday's military takeover in Bangkok, holds a distinction unique in Thai history: he is the first Muslim to command the army of the predominantly Buddhist nation.
A decorated career soldier, Sonthi graduated from the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy in 1969 and rose through several elite commands, including the Special Warfare Command. He was appointed army chief last year, a move widely viewed as the government's attempt to ease a violent insurgency in the Muslim-majority southern provinces, where fighting had killed more than 1,400 people since January 2004.
Sonthi had publicly disagreed with Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on how to handle that conflict, favoring dialogue with militants while the government rejected negotiations outright. He was also known to speak on behalf of King Bhumibol Adulyadej during the country's prolonged political crisis, signaling the monarch's displeasure with the ongoing turmoil.
His close ties to the palace have led many observers to read his role in the coup as a reflection of royal dissatisfaction with Thaksin's government. Sonthi had repeatedly denied coup rumors in the press in the months leading up to the takeover, even as political tensions continued to mount.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in September 2006, in its own words.