Coup remarks only “worst case scenario”: Supreme commander
Supreme Commander Gen Pornpipat Benyasri today tried to allay fears of a military intervention after the general elections expected early next year.
He said if all parties concerned try to prevent the country from plunging into chaos, then nobody should be worried about what the military would do.
The supreme commander was commenting on remarks by Army Commander-in-Chief Gen Apirat Kongsompong on Wednesday that the military would not intervene unless the country faces violent conflicts.
Speaking to reporters after the first meeting of the military top-brass for the new fiscal year, Gen Pornpipat described Gen Apirat’s remarks as reflecting “a worst-case scenario”.
Asked to comment on the situation the country will be facing after the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) ceases to exist after the elections, Gen Pornpipat said: “It’s not possible to predict what will happen. But the country has made good progress over the past four years and is on its way to returning to democracy.”
He called on Thai people to be positive about the country’s future. “Instead of thinking about chaos, if we all together try to do the right things, we should not be worried about chaos in the future and be worried about what the military would do.”
