Authorities:Several countries understand Thailand's situation

BANGKOK, June 6 (TNA) - Several countries appear to understand Thailand's political situation and the necessity for the army-led National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) to stage a coup on May 22, 2014. Major General Napat Sukjit, Secretary to the Office of the Permanent Secretary for Defence, told journalists on Friday that Thai authorities who recently attended the 13th Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore from May 30-June 1 took the opportunity to explain the domestic situation to about 29 other participating countries. Major General Napat said that Thai Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs Sihasak Phuangketkeow also told journalists attending the two-day Asian-Pacific security summit that Thailand is still on the democratic track, but the NCPO is in the process of helping reform Thai politics. Major General Napat revealed that Sihasak informed the international journalists that the NCPO has also started releasing people who were ordered to report themselves to the junta and has softened measures on forbidding people to express their opinions on the domestic situation, as urged by Washington. According to the secretary, Thai Deputy Permanent Secretary for Defence General Surasak Karnjana, who is now Acting Permanent Secretary for Defence, is scheduled to lead senior Thai military officers to attend a three-day security meeting with high-ranking Chinese military officers in Beijing, set from June 11-13, during which the Thai delegation is expected to also explain the updated domestic situation to other participating nations. Meanwhile, Australia, the United States and the European Union (EU) have remained downsizing their cooperation with Thailand after the May 22 coup. (TNA)