"The blacklist, if it exists, will trigger a climate of fear and divisiveness," he said.

Chaturon was reacting to comments by First Army

Region commander Lt-General Prayuth Chan-ocha, who said

the military was closely monitoring 200 former Thai Rak Thai MPs.

Chaturon urged the government to intervene and cancel the political blacklist, saying it did not make sense that a blacklist of suspected southern militants had been torn up - while one for politicians was still intact.

He said social division would persist if the authorities imposed discriminatory measures against Thai Rak Thai, like forbidding MPs to visit their constituents - while allowing other parties free access.

"How can the next general election be fair if only rival parties can campaign?" he asked, claiming that the coup leaders appeared to want to determine the parties that make up the next government.

He said the coup leaders were misplaced in focusing on his party when history showed that no political party could undo military intervention. Only a popular uprising or another coup could reverse the seizure of power.

He said the coup leaders should focus on restoring democratic rule instead of trying to bully his party.