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Published on March 28, 2008

It is the first time Prem has made a rebuttal in public. He said that as president of the Privy Council, he was obliged to be politically neutral.

He refused to comment on political activities, including the current move to amend the 2007 Constitution.

Meanwhile, Air Force commander-in-chief ACM Chalit Pookpasuk denied giving interviews to Wassana Nanuam, a military-beat reporter for the Bangkok Post and author of the book "Lab Luang Prang"  (Secrecy Deception Camouflage), which claims to provide insights into the 2006 coup.

Chalit, former caretaker chairman of the now-defunct Council for National Security, said he did not know where the author had received the information for her book and he had never given her any interviews.

He said he would not read the book.

"I joined the CNS because the situation forced me to. The Air Force must join other armed forces to end political crises. The people who ran the country did something inappropriate,'' he said.

He said he met and talked with former CNS chief General Sonthi Boonyaratglin often, and there was no problem in reaching an understanding with him.

Chalit also denied that Sonthi was upset with General Surayud Chulanont's performance [as caretaker prime minister]. "He has never been dissatisfied. We were in different circumstances and carried out different roles and faced different obstacles,'' he said.

Panya Thiewsangwan

The Nation