A look inside Anutin’s “war room”

The decision by the Thai government to take all necessary military measures to defend Thai sovereignty following new border clashes with Cambodia was reached in what was described as a “war room” presided over by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Monday.

It was an emergency meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) – the top decision-making government agency on security issues. As prime minister, Anutin is chairman of the council, whose members include the supreme commander and the ministers of defence, finance, foreign affairs, interior, justice, communications, and digital economy.

Emerging from the meeting, Prime Minister Anutin said the council members had reached a decision for the government to take all necessary military measures to defend Thailand’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in accordance with international law and the principle of self-defence.

“The government will abide by the decision made by the National Security Council by carrying out military operations as necessary in all circumstances,” Anutin said in a statement afterwards.

Gen Nipat Thonglek, a former defence permanent secretary, said such a decision by the council was rare.

It is also unusual that the NSC shared pictures of the emergency meeting, with Anutin sitting at the head of the table, on its Facebook page.