Red shirt co-leader Kwanchai Praipana said staff at the US embassy in Bangkok asked to meet him two weeks ago but he declined because he feared the meeting might complicate his efforts to re-open his community radio station in Udon Thani.
Kwanchai: Army told him to keep quiet
The leader of the Udon Thani-based red-shirt chapter said on Sunday he was not able to attend the meeting in Udon Thani two weeks ago because the military asked him not to give interviews that might make the news, he said. Also, he was away in Bangkok at the time.
He would not cause any trouble because he was afraid it would hurt his chances of re-opening his Love Udon Club community radio service, he said. He has asked the military if he can relaunch the station, suspended since the May 22 coup last year. It has yet to respond.
Mr Kwanchai's remarks came after the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) invited the US charge d'affaires in Bangkok to explain his country's involvement in Thai politics. Kitti Wasinont, deputy chairman of the NLA's foreign affairs committee, said last week the panel invited W Patrick Murphy to a meeting on Feb 11. He has not responded to the invitation.
The committee wants to hear Mr Murphy's opinion on recent remarks by assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel, the top US diplomat for East Asia and the Pacific, who visited Thailand recently. Mr Russel caused outrage when he called on the military-led government to lift martial law and ensure national reform is "inclusive". He also said the impeachment of former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra could be seen as politically driven.
Mr Kitti said the committee also wants to ask Mr Murphy if he or representatives of the US embassy have met red-shirt leaders in the Northeast, as reported in the media.
Seri Suwanpanont, chairman of the National Reform Council (NRC) committee on justice and legal reforms, said he disagreed with a plan by a group of fellow NRC members to sign a petition denouncing Mr Russel's comments, saying it could hurt bilateral relations.
Meanwhile, most Thais believe the United States is taking sides in the Thai political conflict, according to a National Institute of Development Administration (Nida) poll released Sunday.
Asked whether they believe Mr Russel's claim that the US is impartial about Thailand's political situation, 62.2% rejected it, 25% said they agreed with Mr Russel, and 11.7% had no comment.