Thai PM urges all parties to support reconciliation

BANGKOK, April 23 (TNA) - Thai Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha has called on all parties to support national reconciliation. Stressing the call after arriving in Bangkok on Thursday afternoon, following his visit to Indonesia to attend the Asian-African Summit 2015 from April 22-23, Prime Minister General Prayut explained that the Center for Reconciliation and Reform has invited leaders of political parties and factions, as well as representatives of students and academics to a discussion to gather their opinions on national reconciliation and create common understanding on the domestic situation in both political and economic spheres. The prime minister said that national reconciliation is possible when everyone sincerely supports it, making it clear, however, that reconciliation is not a pardon for those who violate laws and they must be subject to the justice system. Suggesting that the society needs to be aware of problems facing the nation and helps solve them, the prime minister promised, nonetheless, that he will not exercise a harsher special law. The prime minister also noted that he has used power under Section 44 of Thailand's Provisional Constitution to transfer allegedly corrupt government officials only to pave the way for official investigations and the transfers were not meant to be punishment. According to the Thai premier, if evidence supports any case of the alleged corrupt officials, they will go to courts under the normal justice system. (TNA)