Govt slams US State Dept official
GOVERNMENT spokesman Maj-General Sansern Kaewkamnerd yesterday lashed out at Katina Adams, spokeswoman for the US State Department’s East Asian and Pacific Affairs bureau, for not studying “in depth” the junta’s motive behind extending police powers to so
On Monday, Adams voiced concerns over the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO)’s order granting all soldiers ranked sub-lieutenant or above the authority to detain suspects for up to a week for a litany of crimes.
Adams told international media that the US was urging the Thai government to limit the military’s role in internal policing and allow civilian authorities to carry out their duties.
Six NGOs, including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the International Commission of Jurists, also condemned the order on Tuesday, saying it abused human rights.
Sansern responded to Adams’ remarks by saying that the order aimed to accelerate the prosecution of “mafia figures”, whom the junta has vowed to crack down upon in order to maintain peace.
The measures in place are far too slow and could be too risky for officers in charge, he said when explaining why the order was necessary.
He also advised Adams to study the order carefully or ask Thai envoys or diplomats for “correct information” before making comments.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and the government are also upset by how the United States has regularly expressed concerns about the human-rights situation in the Kingdom, Sansern said.
“It’s unlikely that the US is unable to see links between fugitive ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra and the movements that have violated [the junta’s] laws to maintain peace and order,” he said. “They provoked officers to arrest them and then claimed an abuse of their rights. That’s just unacceptable.”
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