Gen Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, chairman of the House committee on national reconciliation, has declined to explain why he led the coup on Sept 19, 2006, saying that some truths can never be told, even after his death.
The question was raised by Maj-Gen Sanan Kachornprasart, chief adviser of the Chartthaipattana Party, at a seminar on the results of the study on national reconciliation by the King Prajadhipok's Institute organised by the Sonthi committee.
The KPI was commissioned by the committee to undertake the study, inluding a proposal to grant amnesty to people involved in past political protests.
Gen Sonthi Boonyaratkalin
When representatives of political parties were allowed to raise a question, Maj-Gen Sanan directed his question to Gen Sonthi, an MP and the Matubhum Party leader.
Gen Sanan said since the Sept 19, 2006 coup was said to be one of the reasons which had brought about conflict in the country, in order to kick start a reconciliation process it was necessary for Gen Sonthi to reply why he staged the coup.
After that Abhisit Vejjajiva, the opposition Democrat Party leader, rose to raise his observations on proposals made by KPI researchers.
One of the three proposals made by the researchers is the annulment of the legal ramifications of all cases handled by the Assets Scrutiny Committee, except the ones which had been closed.
Mr Abhisit asked whether the proposal, if put into actual practice, would really bring about reconciliation.
A representative of the KPI researchers said the proposals were only opinions, not a conclusion. The researchers had advised the Sonthi committee to raise them for discussion with all concerned before forwarding a report to the House of Representatives.
In his closing comment, Gen Sonthi said what is most important in building reconciliation is for all sides to turn to face each other, talk about truths, forget the past, and look to the future.
He declined to answer to Maj-Gen Sanan's question regarding what made him stage the coup.
Gen Sonthi, the former national army chief who led the Sept 19, 2006 coup that toppled the government of Thaksin Shinawatra, said he felt ashamed by having to encounter this question.
He said some truths can never be told, even after his death.