Military top brass to convene

Military top brass to convene

Supreme Commander Gen Tanasak Patimapragorn is to hold a closed-door meeting today with the leaders of the armed forces to discuss a range of matters, a source in the Royal Thai Armed Forces said yesterday.

Chiefs of staff and chiefs of the Directorate of Operations of the army, the air force, and the navy, were also invited to the meeting which plans to deal with both the structure of the combat troops of the armed forces and ongoing political issues, said the source.

"The supreme commander wants to meet over a meal to discuss several matters including the political situation and the armed forces' roles in politics as well as the past work of the armed forces," said the source.

Army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha said normally the supreme commander and the armed forces leaders held talks with one another regularly. He said he communicates with caretaker Prime Minister and Defence Minister Yingluck Shinawatra as usual.

Asked whether the armed forces' meeting today would also concern the planned gathering of the pro-government United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) on Saturday, the army chief said it was not the military's duty to deal with any conflict or any political gathering.

The military's duty was to maintain security by preventing deaths, injuries or harm against the public and personal properties, said Gen Prayuth.

The armed forces have been in talks with one another through all existing mechanisms concerning their duties and roles in ensuring public safety, he said.

Clear designation of responsibilities must be set among the armed forces on issues such as security patrol and areas to be put under security surveillance, said Gen Prayuth.

He also said he had explained to the Centre for Maintaining Peace and Order's (CMPO) that the military's deployment of troops in several areas was part of its efforts to ensure security in all areas and routes used by the political protesters.

The purpose of this operation was to make sure that not only the protesters but also all commuters and residents in these areas and on these routes were safe, he said.

"Please don't see this as the military's support to any particular group. As can be seen, we've deployed forces to protect people of both sides," he said, apparently referring to both the UDD and its rival, the People’s Democratic Reform Committee.

In response to a series of police seizures of explosives and other weapons in Bangkok and the surrounding provinces, Gen Prayuth said the authorities should apply the same standard when searching protesters.

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT