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Thai junta leader asks nation to move on from coup
Agence France Presse - August 23, 2014
"There is no point saying whether a coup is good or whether it is bad," he said in his Friday night speech.
"I have never said that all my actions are correct or incorrect. I take responsibility for my actions. Others must take responsibility for theirs," he added without elaborating.
In the 90-minute speech, General Prayuth, who is also Thailand's army chief, touched on a number of topics ranging from Thailand's illegal ivory trade to practices of human trafficking in the fishing industry. He did not mention his appointment as prime minister.
General Prayuth's election, which still needs to be endorsed by Thailand's king, adds a veneer of legitimacy to a military council, formally known as the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), that has ruled unchallenged since it took control.
It comes at a time when Thailand's economy, which narrowly avoided a technical recession in the second quarter this year, is struggling to get back on its feet after months of sometimes violent street demonstrations.
The military staged a coup on May 22 after months of turbulence pitting protesters – including the urban elite and southern Thais – against supporters of ousted Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
Prayuth has outlined a year-long roadmap including the appointment of a council to oversee national reforms, an interim government and elections in late 2015.
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