Army chief Udomdej Sitabutr said on Monday it is a matter for Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to decide whether to hold reconciliation talks with former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra as proposed by a member of the National Reform Council (NRC).
Gen Udomdej, who is deputy secretary-general of the National Council for Peace and Order, replying to questions, said he could not speak for Gen Prayut. He could say only that the suggestion might be accepted for consideration.
"It is an opinion put forward by some people for the country's leader to consider. I cannot speak for him. However, I think the proposal might be accepted for consideration," he said.
Wanchai Sornsiri, an NRC member, said on Sunday that at the moment reconciliation is one of the most important matters and can be achieved only by practising it, and the person who can do this is Gen Prayut.
Mr Wanchai said this in reference to a call by Kwanchai Praipana, chairman of the Udon Thani red-shirt people, that Gen Prayut act as a moderator by calling core members of parties in conflict to talk about reconciliation and amnesty for the people, except the leaders of the conflicting groups.
Mr Wanchai said that in order for the country to quickly achieve reconciliation Gen Prayut must make an appointment to hold talks with Thaksin. However, the talks must also be attended by other people , otherwise the two men might be seen as colluding with one another, and the outcome of the talks must be revealed to the public, he added.
The NRC member also called for Gen Prayut to talk to core members of the Pheu Thai and Democrat parties, as well as leaders of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship and the People's Democratic Reform Council.
Mr Wanchai said he did not see how the conflicting parties and political groups could reconcile without Gen Prayut's intervention.