The government had to stop red-shirt activists from visiting Rajabhakti Park in Prachuap Khiri Khan province to prevent confrontation, according to Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon.
After the cabinet meeting on Tuesday, government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said Gen Prawit told the ministers that political activists and their followers were travelling through Ratchaburi province to Prachuap Khiri Khan. There were people of opposing views in both provinces.
The military's "invitation" to both leaders was intended to prevent any confrontation.
He was referring to the arrest and detention on Monday of Jatuporn Prompan and Nattawut Saikuar, two leaders of the red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD). Both men were released after they were persuaded to stop their activities because they were not helping the nation, Maj Gen Sansern said.
The two men were arrested at Mahachai market in Muang district of Samut Sakhon province, where about 10 key members of the UDD were gathering before departing to Prachuap Khiri Khan.
Maj Gen Sansern also quoted Gen Prawit as telling the cabinet the political interest group claimed they intended to visit Rajabhakti Park to investigate alleged irregularities, but the visit was actually irrelevant.
Any investigation should involve examining documents not making a visit to the park. The activists who were making the trip were not part of the investigation and were viewed as trying to incite unrest, Maj Gen Sansern said.
Confrontation at Rajabhakti Park would return the country to the situation that existed before May 22, 2014, (the coup date) and security authorities would not let that happen.
People were over the sufferings of the pre-May 22, 2014 conflict and the country was recovering through economic stimulus and the restoration of the international community's confidence in Thailand, the government spokesman said.
He gave an assurance the Defence Ministry would extend a welcome to any organisation wanting to look into alleged irregularities in the Rajabhakti Park project.
