Word: sarit
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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...TIME, your reference to the Thais as the people who are unwilling to fight is hardly justified, but you are right in saying that we have a strong leader in Sarit Thanarat, and we really need one. The surrender to Japan in World War II did not have the consent of the majority of the people of Thailand. It came from the dictator [Pibulsonggram] who ruled the country at that time. You should have mentioned how admirably the brave Thai soldiers and the serious-minded Thai boy scouts sacrificed their blood in fighting the enemy in Southern Thailand until...
...headquarters for SEATO. Although the Thais are gentle people and not famous for stalwart struggle in the face of adversity (they surrendered to the Japanese with embarrassing speed in World War II, soon switched sides and happily declared war on the U.S.), they are bossed by tough Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat, who has built a strong 100,000-man army with the help of $550 million in U.S. aid. A popular dictator, Sarit made his country prosperous, faces no serious domestic discontent, and has kept his few domestic Communists well in hand...
...diplomats to get out of their "air-conditioned comfort" and meet the people. Throughout his homecoming week, in private conversations with senatorial friends, Johnson zealously talked up his serious new concern for Asian problems, had high praise for Nationalist China's Chiang Kaishek, Thailand's tough Premier Sarit Thanarat...
...Sarit is alarmed at what he considers the U.S.'s retreat in Laos. Thailand's border with Laos is long and lightly guarded. Some 50,000 Vietnamese settled in northern Thailand during Indo-China's fight against the French, and they have been heavily infiltrated by Communist agents. A fortnight ago, Sarit learned of Communist plans to stage an uprising among the Vietnamese. He quickly corralled the plotters, interrogated some of the 100 prisoners himself, declared that he had found documents linking them to Communist guerrillas in Laos. Last week, after Johnson left, Premier Sarit headed north...
...months ago, Sarit was offering to send Thai troops into Laos to help the Boun Oum government, if the U.S. was willing to back him up. Now he feels sorely threatened, welcomed Johnson's talk of increased military aid. But he does not now want U.S. troops. Instead, his faith in U.S. resolution shaken, he is talking of shifting to a more neutral stance. Recently he apologized to Soviet Ambassador Anatoly Nikolaev for being unable to like Communism, said he would welcome aid from any source. His apparent intent is not to swing Thailand into the Communist camp...