Thai Army

[Capealava]

Army chief willing to meet Yingluck after election day

By The Nation

Army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha on Wednesday said he was willing to meet with Pheu Thai candidate Yingluck Shinawatra at an appropriate time, preferably after the July 3 vote.

"I thank Khun Yingluck for trying to meet and seek my advice but our meeting should take place at the right time," he said.

Prayuth said he was ready to talk to all sides as he was concerned about the political situation after election day, hinting at the tight race to form the next government.

The army chief was responding to reports that Yingluck, the no 1 party list candidate, is seeking to meet him to talk about the current political situation. If Pheu Thai wins a majority in the general election on July 3, she will be Thailand's first female prime minister.

Army spokesman Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd earlier said it was the wrong time for Yingluck to seek a meeting with Prayuth.

Thailand is in the middle of an election campaign and Gen Prayuth is a government officer so he will certainly be criticised of not being neutral if he were seen meeting with Yingluck, Sansern said.

IIt is obvious from the tone of this article that Thailand's Army and the General's who control it consider themselves outside the 'Democratic Process" in Thailand. A fiefdom unto themselves. It is quite different in Mature Democracies where the Military is under the control of the elected leadership. Obama, David Cameron or Sarkozy do not have Kowtow to the military. The military role should be to protect the Democratic principals and live by them.

It will be a long while before Thailand is truly Democratic Nation if the Generals are not subdued.

Edited June 8, 2011 by Capealava