Bangkok: Thai Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha has said that the enforcement of martial law in the country will be limited from now on, as he instructed the military council to be discreet and prudent when exercising the powers given to them.
Gen Prayuth, also chief of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), said the military council would use its powers as deemed necessary with regard to security and peace-keeping operations. “In terms of law enforcement, all security forces are advised to use existing laws and normal channels, unless (it is) absolutely necessary to use martial law,” he was quoted as saying by the Bangkok Post.
He said that combating corruption, solving urgent problems such as falling crop prices, and tackling social issues should be urgently addressed.
Gen Prayuth, who seized power in a military coup three months ago, became the country’s 29th prime minister on Monday, the first serving army officer to assume the top office in 22 years.
He assumed the new post following an endorsement from King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The army seized power on May 22 from the embattled prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who was forced by a court to step down on May 7 for abusing power and violating the constitution. (PTI)
