Meanwhile, ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra reportedly said the military chief should think of the good old days in their relationship.

In response to Sonthi's speech on the future of Thailand and the CNS, Thaksin's legal adviser Noppadon Pattama said Thaksin and Sonthi had good feelings towards each other before Sonthi was appointed Army chief.

Sonthi attacked Thaksin for many things, including his decision to dissolve Parliament without good cause, his announcement about taking a break from politics and the "second share concealment" accusation relating to Thaksin's share transaction to his children and the Shinawatra and Damapong families during the Shin Corp sale. Noppadon said Sonthi should have understood that the tax exemption from the share sale was according to the law that wanted to promote investment in the stock market. It wasn't that Thaksin lacked morality.

Sonthi was a prominent figure now and his accusations against anybody must have supporting evidence and be unbiased, Noppadon said.

Former Nakhon Ratchasima Thai Rak Thai MP Suporn Atthawong said Sonthi's speech had hurt national reconciliation and could cause more conflicts in society.

To comply with the government's reconciliation policy, Sonthi should stop accusing Thaksin and let scrutinising agencies like the Assets Examination Committee, the National Counter-Corruption Commission and the courts investigate and judge the last government's faults, Suporn said.

The party's deputy spokesman Jatuporn Promphan said Sonthi's speech was an attempt to distract people from what the CNS did.

Samatcha Hoonsara

The Nation