A government spokesman called on the university students who petitioned the United Nations complaining of intimidation by the army Wednesday not to be emotional as soldiers went to their homes "without arms and tanks".
Lt Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd was responding to the move by a group of students from Chulalongkorn and Thammasat universities who petitioned the UN human rights body for help, claiming they were "threatened" by officers after they raised a placard branding Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha a "dictator" on Monday.
The three students are second-year economics major Thanawat Wongchai, also deputy chairman of the Chulalongkorn student council, Wiranphat Rotkaeo, a sophomore in political sciences, and Wasini Phabupraphap, who is in the fourth year of an arts degree.
They accompanied Prit Chiwarak, a second-year political sciences major at Thammasat University, to lodge a complaint with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The students said after the incident soldiers and police officers approached the universities to find out the students' personal information. The officers also went to their homes to meet their parents.
This is intimidation and an attempt to hinder freedom of expression, they claimed.
Mr Prit said the UN office staff expressed concern over the incident and promised to pressure the military engineered government to better respect people's rights.
Lt Gen Sansern said Gen Prayut shared their view that the protest was an expression of opinion and he had no problem with the students' actions.
Still, Lt Gen Sansern denied allegations the soldiers intimidated the students after the incident, saying they only performed their duty.
They did not intend to pursue or monitor the students, he said.
"It was a normal job. They didn't carry weapons or drive a tank to their homes," the spokesman said.
"Please don't decide things based on pure emotion," he said.
On Monday when Gen Prayut attended an event held by Chulalongkorn university in front of Siam Square One shopping mall, a group of students walked towards him and held up a placard that read "Chula people love Lung Tu [the dictator]".
Lung Tu (uncle Tu) is one of Gen Prayut's nicknames.
Security officials immediately snatched the banner away and attempted to move the students out of the area.