Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has admitted the government is considering a selective amnesty for political offenders as part of efforts to bring about national unity, which is part of the government's roadmap.
However, Gen Prayut insisted Wednesday he will not reconcile with those who flee justice and refuse to face trial.
Amnesty would only be given to those who agree to submit to the legal process, the prime minister said.
Those convicted of committing politically motivated offences would be the priority in receiving an amnesty while political offenders who are still on trial would come next, the prime minister said.
"We cannot be reconciled with those who refuse to face trial. The rule of law must be upheld. I don't like those who threaten to incite unrest if the reconciliation they hope for doesn't happen," Gen Prayut said.
"I don't know how far this [amnesty plan] can proceed but these are my goals," Gen Prayut said.
The prime minister said that while several political offenders have fled abroad and refused to return to face justice, some groups in the country are also trying to defy the law.
Gen Prayut's comments on the amnesty proposal came after Sompong Sakawee, a member of the National Reform Steering Assembly (NRSA), who is a key member of the red-shirt United Front for Democraty against Dictatorship, earlier said his main task in the steering assembly will be to push for an amnesty for political offenders involved in political violence in recent years.
Mr Sompong said he believed an amnesty is the only way to achieve national reconciliation.
He said he agreed with a selective amnesty to pardon the average protester who had participated in political demonstrations whereas protest leaders, those involved in corruption cases and lese majeste cases should be excluded.
He cited the amnesty granted to protesters who destroyed government office buildings during clashes between demonstrators and security forces in the Oct 14, 1973 uprising and Oct 6, 1976 massacre, as well as Black May 1992.
Kamnoon Sidhisamarn, an NSRA member, suggested the steering assembly consider a report prepared by the now-defunct National Reform Council committee studying approaches to promoting national unity chaired by Anek Laothammatat.
The report covers all aspects of seeking reconciliation, including providing compensation to affected parties, an amnesty and a truth-seeking process.
"We should not talk about an amnesty just out of the blue without considering Mr Anek's proposals to achieve reconciliation," Mr Kamnoon said.
Meanwhile, Borwornsak Uwanno, the former chairman of the previous Constitution Drafting Committee, rejected an invitation by Meechai Ruchupan, the chairman of the new CDC, to serve as an adviser to the panel.
Mr Borwornsak said he wanted to stick by his promise he made to the public that he would no longer be involved in drafting a new constitution.
The panel led by Mr Borwornsak was dissolved after its draft charter was rejected by the NRC on Sept 6. The NRC itself was also dissolved after the vote.
