A member of the Pheu Thai Party legal team said he was summoned by the military Tuesday after posting online the “secret” reason for the cancellation of Friday’s post-impeachment press conference by former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
Pheu Thai Party legal team member Singthong Buachum announces the cancellation of former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s planned press conference on being impeached to a large group of reporters at the SC Park Hotel on Friday. He then said the decision was made in response to the military regime's request for "cooperation". (Photo by Patipat Janthong)
Singthong Buachum said he received a phone call from a soldier at the 1st Army Region, ordering him to report Tuesday to Lt Gen Kampanart Ruddith, the director of the Reconciliation Centre for Reform, at the 1st Army's headquarters.
Mr Singthong said the officer declined to state why he had been summoned, saying only it was an order from his commander. However, he believes it's because of his Sunday post to Facebook.
On Friday, Mr Singthong had told reporters that Ms Yingluck cancelled her press conference at the SC Park Hotel after the National Council for Peace and Order asked for her "cooperation" in not staging a political event. She had planned to give reporters her reaction to being impeached by the National Legislative Assembly hours earlier.
On Sunday, however, Mr Singthong told a different story about why the briefing was cancelled.
"[I] will tell you a secret. When soldiers and police came and took control of the [press briefing] area at the SC Park Hotel that day, a soldier holding the rank of lieutenant colonel and a police officer with the rank of colonel representing the NCPO came to talk to me," he wrote.
"They said 'do not hold the press conference' and that it was an order from the First Army Region commander," he added, referring to 1st Army Region commander Lt Gen Kampanart Ruddith. Mr Singthong said that he was told that if he didn't comply, the army would exert martial law and summon Ms Yingluck and her lawyers to report to them the next day.
Mr Singthong now will be going alone, with expectations he'll be staying a while.
"I will prepare my clothes for two days, just in case," he said. "Should be enough hopefully."