Chiang Mai: Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday told local administrative officials to stop engaging in political division by continuing to support political movements of the former government.
He told Pawin Chamniprasat, governor of Chiang Mai, that he should stop being loyal to "the old boss" and leaking information, a source said. He made the remarks at a meeting of a committee which oversees royal projects. ''The politicians' time is over and they had better step away,'' Gen Prayut told the governor.
"I will leave only when my time for managing the state is up and I will take those bad people out with me. I use Section 44 [of the interim charter] every day to enable reshuffles [of state officials]. I'm not threatening but I do just as I say," the prime minister said.
Section 44 of the charter provides the premier with special powers to resolve urgent problems.
Chiang Mai is a major political stronghold of Pheu Thai, the former ruling party. The northern province is the hometown of two former prime ministers, Thaksin Shinawatra and his younger sister Yingluck.
Later in the day, Gen Prayut also spoke about the military regime's efforts to solve political conflicts at a ceremony in the province.
The ceremony was held to present certificates to villagers who won the right to live in reserved forests in Chiang Mai under a programme designed to help eradicate disparity in land ownership.
Gen Prayut said the government had been trying to solve conflicts left simmering for over a decade, before political turmoil erupted and the military had to step in to handle it. "If people in the country continue to fight, they are fighting no matter who is elected as the new government. Who can guarantee they won't?" he said.
"I think you had better promise yourselves that you won't go to Bangkok [for a political rally] again. Many people have died and it still cannot be proven what killed them. Didn't they die because they were willing to be mobilised [to the rallies]?" said Gen Prayut.