Head of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) General Prayuth Chan-ocha has stressed that the NCPO would not interfere in the reform process and that Thai people must work together in order to achieve the desirable national reform.
In his weekly televised public address, General Prayuth called for cooperation from all sides in pushing for the reform, which is necessary to move the country forward.
He urged the people who oppose the NCPO to stop making false accusations against the good intentions of the council through leaflets or social networks. He said that the NCPO wanted to create an atmosphere conducive to reconciliation, so that the reform process could be carried out smoothly. However, some people were trying to take the country back to instability by calling for democracy, the return of power to the people and general elections. These people did not see that an incomplete democracy would lead the country back to an unstable situation.
He pointed out that such a situation would result in the country losing its credibility with the global community. Moreover, it would also lead to unfair distribution of income, corruption, illegal activities, encroachment on natural resources, and exploitation through legal and illegal means.
Based on Thailand’s long experience with the situation, it should be obvious that an incomplete democracy could not solve the people’s basic problems at all. If the old style of democracy is allowed to continue, he said, it would slow down national development and that Thailand would suffer damage in the future.
General Prayuth said that the NCPO had made some progress in phase one of its roadmap during the past three months. However, when certain problems eased, some influential persons started using social pressure and misled low-income earners into committing wrongdoings, as a way to exploit large numbers of people again. He said that these influential figures had attempted to use the general public as a hostage and that their attempts must come to an end.
Despite the movements of these people, he said, the NCPO needed to continue its reorganization efforts. For instance, it will continue to keep pavements in order and solve the problem of street hawking. In this regard, relevant governmental agencies should seek appropriate ways to help the poor in order to prevent further illegal acts. For example, they may find new selling areas for them or set clear rules in certain areas, in line with the NCPO’s policy.
