Political parties call for inclusive process in reconciliation talks
Political parties have stated that the national reconciliation process must be inclusive to all parties at all levels and sincerity was the key to its success, said defence spokesman Maj Gen Kongcheep Tantrawanich Thursday.
The defence spokesman wrapped up talks with political parties who met the reconciliation preparation committee this week.
They included Phum Jai Thai Party, Fraternity Party, Citizen Power Party, Power of Thailand Party, and the former government-leader Pheu Thai Party.
Some 38 out of 70 invited parties have met the committee so far.
Kongcheep said political parties also accepted that conflicts occurred in any society and they agreed that everyone must accept the truth before finding solutions to the problem.
The parties also said reconciliation building should be taken seriously, the spokesman said. They did not want to waste this opportunity to bring about peace and lay out a solid foundation to underpin future democratic rule, he said.
Kongcheep maintained that the atmosphere had been friendly and all participants showed determination to find solutions to the issues facing the country.
The spokesman said he wanted conflicting parties to overcome contentions and not bring up old issues which would only obstruct the reconciliation efforts.
He said that after the opinion gathering was completed, all information would be processed by responsible committees. Then, it would be considered by the super committee, Por Yor Por, before being processed into a social contract.
While the defence ministry welcomed political parties in the talks, the military in collaboration with the Interior Ministry is also gathering views from locals through provincial forums.