Thai people are going to local government offices to answer Prayut's four questions on elections. But one Pheu Thai politician has had the privilege of being visited by a group of soldiers demanding his answers.
On 11 June 2017, eight soldiers visited Yuttapong Charasathien, a former Pheu Thai MP and Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, at his house in Maha Sarakham. The soldiers asked him to answer the four questions on elections which junta head Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha posed to the public in his weekly televised address late last month.
On the question “Will the next election lead to good governance?” Yuttapong replied that he could not tell since the election has not yet been held. But if not, he suggested the junta head respect the people’s choice and the election result so the country can move forwards.
He also mused that it was such an honour that the military delivered the questions directly to his house while ordinary people have to go to a local district office to give feedback. However, he questioned why he was asked to answer since the junta head said on 29 May that he was asking the questions of people, not politicians.
“People! Do you understand ‘people’? Not politicians. I don’t listen to politicians. I’m not a politician,” Gen Prayut angrily stated after politicians criticized his questions as an attempt to remain in power after the next election.
The junta kicked off a campaign to collect feedback on the four questions on 12 June. People who wish to answer have to go to district offices and show their ID to prove their citizenship.
Various media report, however, claim that the campaign is not popular and few people have participated. But the Permanent Secretary of the Interior Ministry argued that people in various provinces, like Phuket and Chiang Mai, are very active in joining the campaign.
Yuttapong Charasathien (Photo from Matichon Online)
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