Thai PM ready for peace talk with opposition

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said he is ready to hold peace talk with the opposition Puea Thai party, Thai media reported Monday.

In regard to the opposition Puea Thai Party's five-point reconciliation plan, the detail of which was released on Thursday, Abhisit said it was the right move and it would be good if Puea Thai brought all sides to support the plan, The Nation newspaper reported.

However, Abhisit declined to comment on who will be the government's representatives sent to talk with Puea Thai.

Meanwhile, Puea Thai Deputy Leader Plodprasop Surasawadee dismissed the rumor that the party's representatives for peace talk would be former PM Chavalit Yongjaiyut and Jatuporn Prompan, a Puea Thai MP and key leader of anti-government movement red- shirts.

Plodprasop said that the party has not yet decided on this issue and is now on the stage of selecting.

The party proposed the plan as it wanted to see national reconciliation and that it is not to pressure the government to hold fresh election, he said.

Puea Thai Party on Thursday issued a statement, calling for all sides to hold talks to explore ways to end political conflict and achieve peaceful reconciliation.

The five-point proposal is that firstly, it is now time for all parties in conflict to hold talks and exchange opinions in a peaceful manner. Secondly, The Puea Thai Party believes peace, unity and the state of being one nation will return if all sides forgive one another and agree to peaceful co-existence and uphold equality and justice. Thirdly, the Puea Thai Party wants people of all groups to avoid and refrain from any form of violence. The fourth, the party is firm in its loyalty to Their Majesties the King and Queen. Lastly, Puea Thai hopes its stand would help the government and those responsible for security feel relieved and begin reconciliation process right away, without wasting any more time.

After the latest chronic protest by the red-shirts, which left 91 killed and nearly 2,000 injured in the conflicts between the protesters and the security forces, the prime minister came up with some projects aimed to achieve national reconciliation, including setting up Reform Committees led by former Prime Minister Anand Panyarachun and social critic Prawase Wasee.

Source: Xinhua