Chavalit sets up "Third Force" to end conflict

Chavalit sets up "Third Force" to end conflict

Former prime minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh claims he has set up a "Third Force" comprising millions of people who will try to end conflicts and do away with political colour codes among the people.

Gen Chavalit revealed the plan on Sunday morning when he opened his residence in Soi Pinprapakhom on Chaeng Wattana road to explain to the media about his political intentions.

He said what he had done previously might have been mistaken as working in coordination with former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra who has recently been on the political offensive through foreign media against the National Council for Peace and Order and its government.

In a move seen to coincide with Thaksin's poltical offensive, Gen Chavalit on Feb 24 held a press conference at his residence and called on the NCPO to relinquish power and hold elections to restore democracy this year, instead of 2017. In an open letter, "Big Jiew" accused the military regime of causing more conflict and economic hardship.

In Sunday's meeting with the press, Gen Chavalit insisted he had never taken an order or received money from anyone.

He said he once set up a political party of his own and had carried out political work under his own strategies out of concern for the country, adding he was not involving in "bringing anybody home". He was apparently referring to Thaksin.

Gen Chavalit said he joined the Pheu Thai Party because he was an ex-military officer who was duty-bound to create peace and prosperity for the people. In working with Pheu Thai, he had used the strategies of "being the middle ring of a chain" and "flowers of various colours" to prevent conflicts from developing into an armed struggle which had happened 20-30 years ago.

Big Jiew said he decided to resign from Pheu Thai because his strategies were not successful and the "Shin-Da-Wong" group in the party had made it a prime mission to bring Thaksin home. He was referring to senior figures of the Shinawatra, Damapong and Wongsawat families in the party.

One day, when Thaksin made a Skype connection from abroad, he and Sanoh Thienthong, another senior party member, told him it was not yet time to come back. He said his last words at a party meeting were that the party should mainly think about bringing the people out of poverty, which was the cause of other social problems such as education and crime.

Gen Chavalit said he never took orders from anyone and still had high respect for Gen Prem Tinsulanonda, the Privy Council president and statesman. He said he wanted to meet Gen Prem very badly but did not dare to do so because he had learned that the Privy Council boss did not want to see politicians, although he did not regard himself as a politician.

Big Jiew said he had set up the Third Force about three years ago as part of his third strategy to solve the country's problems.

The Third Force was not an armed force but a combination of people with knowledge and ability to help solve the country's problems, to stop Thais from killing one another, and stop them from looking at soldiers as their enemies, he said.

He said the Third Force comprised more than one million united front members of 21 hilltribes, hundreds of thousands of "new Thais", more than 10 million poverty-stricken people, and others from the South including between 200,000 and 300,000 people who given up armed struggle.

The main duty of the force was to educate the people not to take part in conflict and to do away with political colour codes. Whenever there was potential for a violent clash, members of the Third Force would intervene to stop it.

Gen Chavalit said it was not necessary for him to talk to Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, the NCPO chairman, about the Third Force because it was not formed for combat. But he would be glad if Gen Prayut would want to talk to him, he added.

Asked to comment about the new draft charter which could widen conflicts in society, particularly about the NCPO's alleged intention of perpetuating its power, Gen Chavalit said the prime minister and the NCPO should concentrate more on solving the poverty problem than on the new charter to cope with corruption and bad politicians.

"A constitution is important but it is not a tool to bring about peace. Democracy can be achieved not with a constitution but a policy to create a balance between the sovereign power and people's liberties to prevent a state of anarchy or dictatorship," he said, adding that the people now had adoped a more unfavourable attitude against the military.

In his view, it was not possible for the government to implement a 20-year national strategy as planned.

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