Junta chief Prayuth Chan-ocha yesterday clarified the remark he made last week that he might “shut down” the country to the outside world, saying he didn’t mean what he said.
“What I really meant is that if conflicts are still not resolved, our country will head towards a situation just like before May 22 [when the military staged the coup],” he said.
Prayuth claims he was drawing a comparison to the “Shutdown” rallies held in Thailand before he seized power in a coup.
The junta chief told a meeting last week he plans on “shutting down” the country and remaining in power if peace and order does not return ahead of the planned general election.
“If politicians don’t stop talking [to stir conflicts], I’ll have to keep staying [in power]. I may even have to close the country if I need to,” he said.
The remark made headlines and was widely mentioned online, reported the Nation.
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