The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) yesterday briefed foreign military attaches in Thailand on the reasons for the May 22 coup and appealed for their understanding of the political situation.
NCPO spokesman Col Veerachon Sukhonthapatipak said military attaches from 22 countries were invited to the briefing.
Eighteen turned up — from Australia, Canada, China, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States, Vietnam and South Korea.
The attaches from Cambodia, Laos, Spain and Kuwait said they had other engagements.
Col Veerachon said the NCPO will now invite the attaches to weekly briefings.
The spokesman said he explained the army had to take power to end the country’s protracted political and social conflicts which had threatened to get out of hand.
He also explained the NCPO had also sought to prevent a potential civil war, saying the army could not stand idly by and watch Thais die or suffer injuries as a result of the political conflict.
A total of 28 people were killed and more than 700 injured during the six months of street protests led by the People’s Democratic Reform Committee against the Yingluck Shinawatra government.
"The country was in a coma....We had to stop the country bleeding,’’ Col Veerachon told the attaches.
When asked by attaches from Indonesia, the UK and the Philippines when an election will be held, Col Veerachon said one would be held within the next 15 months after national unity is achieved and national reforms are completed.
"We don’t want to hold on to power. We have a timeline for an election,’’ he said.
Many attaches voiced concern over the detention of people summoned to report to the NCPO, saying this could defeat the purpose of the junta's unity campaign.
Col Veerachon insisted people were only called in for discussions and detained for no more than seven days. Their human rights were respected.