Thai military chief says govt must resolve political crisis itself

Written by Writer on Sunday, October 12th, 2008

Thai military chief says govt must resolve political crisis itself

BANGKOK (TNA) — Thailand’s Supreme Commander Gen. Songkitti Jaggabatara said Saturday the country’s military is “not shaken by the ongoing political problems” and it is the duty of the government to resolve the crisis, and he emphasised that the military will not intervene.

According to Gen. Songkitti, Army chief Gen. Anupong Paochinda said the government realised the problem quite well. and it must solve the crisis by itself. The violence and bloodshed which occurred earlier this week had not
shaken the morale or resolve of the military.

Assuring the public that the military will not stage another coup d’etat, Gen. Songkitti said that while top officers
privately discuss the country’s political turbulence, the military chiefs have not met officially.

Two persons died and more than 400 others were injured Tuesday during bloody street clashes between police and protesters of the anti-government People’s Alliance for Democracy.

Gen. Anupong on Friday urged the government to take responsibility for the violence.

He said the government must investigate what went wrong in the attempt to disperse protesters and it must also consider how to take responsibility when it did not go as they wished.

Privy councilor Gen. Surayud Chulanont, former prime minister, on Saturday declined to comment on the violence, saying only “I’m just like any Thai”. (TNA)