Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has insisted amnesty issues will not be included in the national reconciliation talks process which started Tuesday.
"Reconciliation is a different issue from an amnesty," Gen Prayut said, referring to a much-talked about proposal to grant an amnesty to political offenders that has divided the country into pro- and anti-Thaksin Shinawatra groups since 2006.
Speaking on the first day of the government's discussions with political parties on reconciliation at the Defence Ministry yesterday, the prime minister insisted authorities will focus on the root causes of the problem rather than continuing to ask whether or not to grant an amnesty.
The past government failed to function while people with different political stances quarrelled, which is why the coup took place in May 2014, Gen Prayut said.
"We have to look at [the problems] and solve them there. This is real reform," he said.
Gen Prayut was firm in his stance, though some politicians have warned national reconciliation may not be achieved without an amnesty.
The four panels are under the Committee for National Administration under the Framework of National Reform, Strategy and Reconciliation chaired by Gen Prayut.
Deputy Prime Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwon, who chairs the reconciliation committee, said the talks with three political parties -- the New Aspiration Party, the Farmer Network of Thailand Party, and the Commoners Party of Thailand -- went smoothly yesterday.
The discussions bypassed the amnesty issue, which is contentious, he said, adding the government would prefer to see any amnesty handled under the legal process.
Details of yesterday's and future talks will be released every Wednesday and Friday, Defence Ministry spokesman Maj Gen Kongcheep Tantrawanit said.
Chart Pattana Party leader Wannarat Charnnukul and party executives will today share their views on national reconciliation with Gen Chaicharn Changmongkol, permanent secretary for defence, who heads a sub-committee gathering opinions on the reconciliation process.