Thai junta makes light of protests greeting PM at UN

BANGKOK

The Thai junta has sought to make light of the protests which greeted Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha's visit to the United Nations, saying Monday that such sights were relatively common at the UN General Assembly.

Junta spokesman Col. Winthai Suvaree told the Bangkok Post on Monday that Chan-ocha's visit was not ruined by the anti-coup protests that greeted him, and he received a "warm welcome" from another group that greeted him.

He underlined that such demonstrations at the Assembly were common, and the protests were unlikely to attract special attention or damage the country's image.

A group of anti-coup protesters had lined the street leading to the UN building in New York on Saturday holding placards and shouting slogans, as Chan-ocha made his first appearance.

"Democracy is Dead,” read one sign, while another called for the junta chief to "Bring Back Democracy!"

"I just want a government that we have actually voted for," the Post quoted Patcha Boonkerd, a 27-year-old studying in New York as saying. "I can accept it if someone says that we're not ready for a democracy, but I can't accept that the current government is pretending and saying that we live in a democracy."

Meanwhile, a smaller pro-junta group had gathered to show support with signs carrying the slogan "Reform Before Elections".

"Our past governments have had so much corruption and we want to move forward," said Atrisak Jesdanun, 78. "We want reform and we want Gen. Prayuth to reform the constitution."

During his trip, Chan-ocha sought to assuage fears about prolonged military rule.

"Foreign countries understand now that we do have problems and we want to solve them. They also have confidence the government will do its best and take the country toward democracy," Maj. Gen. Sansern quoted Chan-ocha as saying.

Over the weekend the general met with both UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and a group of U.S. investors and claimed Thailand would "definitely" become a democracy by mid-2017.

The junta leader-cum-prime minister is to address the assembly on Tuesday at 7 p.m. New York time (2300GMT).

Human Rights Watch has asked the assembly to take junta leader Chan-ocha to task on Thailand's repression of human rights and public liberties during the speech.

He should get the welcome he deserves, "which is an earful about the junta’s abysmal human rights record”, said the group's Asia director Brad Adams.

“The leaders attending the General Assembly should use their meetings with General Prayuth to urge an end to the junta’s wave of repression and restore democratic civilian rule."

Chan-ocha and the ruling military government took power in May last year after prolonged political protests and violence.

The junta says it plans to implement reforms before returning the country to democracy.