Reconciliation and reforms will likely start to take shape and show some tangible results by year's end, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said yesterday, pleading for time and the opportunity for various fence-mending panels to work before being judged.
"I am confident in the integrity of every panel member acting out their social responsibility to try and overcome the political predicament, hence I plead for everyone to cooperate with them instead of making hasty criticism," he said.
Abhisit said panel members had no personal or vested interests and that they acted out of altruism in their attempts to end social divisions.
Within this year, each independent panel should have achieved sufficient progress to map out a blueprint charting a new course on how the country should move forward, he said, voicing optimism that the political situation would start improving in a tangible manner.
"I am not saying all problems will be resolved overnight because certain groups have yet to put the country before their vested interests, but at least society will have some mechanisms in place to tackle the existing issues and pre-empt the resurgence of violence or confrontation," he said.
The prime minister conceded, however, he was concerned about anti-government attempts to agitate and instigate violence.
"I just want to say this to the people - please be cautious and not fall prey to agitation designed to hurt your own country," he said.
The success or failure to prevent renewed unrest hinged not on his government but on whether the people could see through the agitation.
He vowed to step up efforts to reach out toNGOs and media outlets in order to explain the situation. The government was ready and willing to advance democracy and ensure compliance on human rights, he said, expressing a willingness to heed advice from the parties concerned.
Starting this week, he will meet with media professionals to explore ways to carry out their jobs without inflaming political volatility.
His overture to the media was not meant to interfere with press freedom.
"I don't mind factual reports about negative views about the government, but no media outlet should allow itself to become a tool to mobilise the people to kill one another or to torch their country," he said.
Meanwhile, Democrat MP Sathit Pitutecha said an angry outburst by Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, after he was asked about security forces shooting unarmed people during the unrest, should not be construed as an attempt to intimidate the media.
Confronted with a question he deemed suspicious, Suthep had the right to ask whether there was an ulterior motive in posing such a question, Sathit said.
The government had already launched a number of probes related to the use of force during the unrest, he said, adding that the phrasing of the question appeared to mirror the stand of the opposition Pheu Thai Party, which was trying to fault the government on every issue.
He said the Democrats suspected a former media professional was working behind the scenes to generate negative publicity designed to tarnish the government's reputation.
He also believed a media mogul might be involved in the negative publicity campaign.