US envoy invited to meet NLA

THE US charge d’affaires has been invited to appear before a parliamentary panel on February 11 to explain the recent remarks by a visiting senior American official and also about reports that US Embassy officials had met red-shirt leaders.

The Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) has sent a letter inviting Patrick Murphy, the US Embassy’s deputy head of mission, the parliamentary panel’s deputy chair Kitti Wasinondh said yesterday. He said the committee has asked Murphy, who is acting as caretaker head of mission in the absence of a new American ambassador, to meet with its members and explain what has happened to US-Thai relations over the past week.

Kitti, a former ambassador, said political remarks made by Assistant State Secretary for Asia and the Pacific Daniel Russel had affected Thailand and the committee wanted an explanation. Russel, who visited Thailand briefly last week, urged the Thai government to lift martial law and cast doubts on the legitimacy of the impeachment of former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra by the junta-appointed NLA.

Kitti said he has yet to get a reply from the US Embassy. Kitti said he would also seek an explanation from Murphy as to why US diplomats visited the Northeast to seek a meeting with anti-government red shirts last Thursday. He called the visit to the region at this period “inappropriate”.

Interior Minister General Anupong Paochinda said yesterday he was not worried about the visit to the Northeast by US diplomats, adding that such a visit is permissible but America should understand Thailand better and not meddle in Thai domestic affairs.

US diplomats reportedly visited Udon Thani province to meet with local people including red-shirt members of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD).

Anupong said the United States could collect information about Thailand but should understand that the work of the government of Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha has nothing to do with the recent impeachment of former prime minister Yingluck by Russel.

Anupong said there was no sign of unusual movement by any anti-government forces after the visit to the Northeast by US diplomats. The minister said American diplomats as well as Thais should understand that the government is currently trying to solve problems and bring about national reconciliation and has no intention to wrongly exercise its power.

Anupong said the situation was going well with the economy picking up and the tourism reviving and so he does not wish to see any trouble recurring.

When asked what he thought of some Thais resenting the US move to send its diplomats to the Northeast to talk with red shirts and the remarks by Russel, leading to anti-US sentiment, Anupong said he hoped Thais would understand bilateral relations and try to be constructive in expressing themselves. He added that Thailand would never meddle in US domestic affairs and hoped that the US would do likewise.

In a related development, PM Prayut is scheduled to visit Phimai district in Nakhon Ratchasima tomorrow, to chair a meeting on national rice policy. Anupong said there was no sign of any protest so far and he did not expect any disruption similar to what occurred in Khon Kaen, another province in the Northeast, last year. But additional security would be undertaken to ensure the safety and an orderly visit by the PM. Anupong said he hoped local people would understand that was an outcome of the protest at Khon Kaen last year.