Anupong insists govt didn't request mission
WASSANA NANUAM
The army plans to visit red-shirted groups in the Northeast as part of a mission to ease social disunity.
Army chief Gen Anupong Paojinda has ordered military officers to launch the mission to the Isan region, a stronghold of the defunct Thai Rak Thai party founded by Thaksin Shinawatra.
The North and Northeast are dominated by pro-Thaksin supporters, known for wearing their symbolic red shirts.
Many of them have announced they will stage protests against the new Democrat party-led government.
"Basically I love Isan people," said Gen Anupong.
"We can't force them to love certain people. If they get angry, we have to talk with them calmly.
And I want to talk with them," he added.
"Soldiers can go into the local areas and talk to the people there. We're most willing to do that if it's not interfering with politics," Gen Anupong said.
He insisted there have been no instructions from the government for him to hold talks with leaders of the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship, which heads the red-clad movement.
The military would have to get the go-ahead from the government before it could begin its task.
Gen Anupong said it was up to the government to decide if Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva should concurrently hold the post of defence minister.
"On this particular point, I see no problem," he said.
The general yesterday also commented on accusations that Mr Abhisit had evaded conscription.
He said the case is 21 years old and the statute of limitations on it has already lapsed.
Gen Anupong, the successor to Gen Sonthi Boonyaratkalin who led the coup against the Thaksin government in 2006, has faced criticism from anti-Thaksin groups for being too passive during the recent political conflict.
Some have alleged he had a hand in swaying support in parliament that saw the Democrat party taking over the government.
"One side says I did nothing while the other says I had a hidden agenda. But I only did my normal job and I insist this is not true," he said.
In a New Year message to his troops, Gen Anupong said soldiers should make an effort to win the hearts and minds of the people.
Meanwhile, a group of independent lawyers will launch a signature campaign to remove Gen Anupong as army chief for failing to stop the clashes between People's Alliance for Democracy demonstrators and UDD supporters.
Lawyer Picha Vijitsil yesterday led a team of lawyers to meet Senate Speaker Prasopsuk Boondej, calling on him to remove Gen Anupong from his post.
The group accused Gen Anupong, in his capacity as head of a committee overseeing implementation of the emergency decree, of failing to do anything to prevent the clashes between the opposing sides, which led to casualties.
Mr Picha said his group would gather 20,000 signatures as required by the constitution to remove Gen Anupong. He said he would use all means at his disposal to have the army chief removed from his job.
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