Army chief hosts Suthep-Yingluck meeting Sunday
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Anti-government rally leader Suthep Thaugsuban on Sunday met Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra for the first time with Army Commander in Chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha mediating.
The meeting was held at an unknown location in the presence of the commanders in chief of the Navy and Air Force with the aim of solving the escalating protests. Prayuth made the offer to help host the meeting on Sunday morning.
Suthep said he met the prime minister and the commanders in chief of the three armed forces in the hour-long meeting.
However the meeting failed to come up with any fruitful solution as Suthep, who is leading the protests to uproot Thaksin Regime, insisted that the Yingluck government had no legitimacy to administer the country since its announcement that it was rejecting the Constitutional Court's rulings on charter amendment concerning senate election.
Suthep said he met the prime minister and the commanders in chief of the three armed forces in the hour-long meeting.
However the meeting failed to come up with any fruitful solution as Suthep, who is leading the protests to uproot Thaksin Regime, insisted that the Yingluck government had no legitimacy to administer the country since its announcement that it was rejecting the Constitutional Court's rulings on charter amendment concerning senate election.
“I did not regard the meeting as a negotiation. I told her to return the ruling mandate back to people. A council should be set up, truely-democratic rules drafted before holding a new election,” he said in a press conference broadcast in free-to-air television channels at about 9.30pm.
Suthep said Yingluck did not say anything during the meeting. ”This would be the only meeting between the premier and I and there will be no meetings until the people win.
Gen Prayuth told Suthep and Yingluck that the armed forces did not want to see people killed or injured and they would stand by the country.
"I decided to attend the meeting because it was held in the presence of the armed forces' commanders-in-chief. It was a good opportunity to make them aware of the people's stance in a clear and straightforward manner," Suthep said.
