PM apologises to Yingluck, releases new song

PM apologises to Yingluck, releases new song

Gen Prayut leads his wife and cabinet members in offering morning alms to 60 Buddhist monks at Government House before chairing the first cabinet meeting of 2017 on Wednesday. (Photo by Thanarak Khunton)
Gen Prayut leads his wife and cabinet members in offering morning alms to 60 Buddhist monks at Government House before chairing the first cabinet meeting of 2017 on Wednesday. (Photo by Thanarak Khunton)

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Wednesday apologised to Yingluck Shinawatra after she complained of being followed by plainclothes officers, while at the same time launching his latest song.

Speaking after the first cabinet meeting of the year, Gen Prayut said the officers who were following the former prime minister had been assigned to ensure her safety. 

He begged her "not to whine". There must be people assigned to take care of her, he said, because if something bad happened she would blame the government for not looking after her.

“But I have told them not to take so many pictures. I want to apologise [to Ms Yingluck] for this,” Gen Prayut said.

Gen Prayut’s comments came after Ms Yingluck complained about being followed by plainclothes police while she spent the New Year holiday with her son in Pai district of Mae Hong Son province. 

"I never thought I would be closely followed by plainclothes police and the authorities, who also checked on the shops and places I visited," Ms Yingluck wrote on her Facebook page on Tuesday.

"Government resources should be better spent on looking after the people, not on following me," she wrote.

Meanwhile, Gen Prayut told reporters before chairing the cabinet meeting that he had penned a new song called Sa-parn (bridge) as an inspiration for his cabinet and everyone. 

Government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd later said the song was intended to inspire cabinet members, government officials and the people to work together, as a bridge to cross over past conflict and problems to national reform.

“The prime minister wants to boost everyone’s morale and use this song as a reminder and steer the country to Thailand 4.0 [development policy],“ Lt Gen Sansern said.

Sa-parn is the fourth single written by the chief of the military regime. His first, a patriotic ballad - Khuen Kwam Suk Hai Prathet Thai (Return Happiness To Thailand) - is the theme song of his National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO).

Music video of Sa-parn uploaded on Jan 3 by Youtube user sakooclub

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