Thai PM insists on fair corruption suppression

BANGKOK, June 8 (TNA) - Thai Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha has assured that anti-corruption efforts by his government are fair to all parties. The Thai prime minister announced the fair anti-corruption campaign while delivering his speech to heads of government offices, representatives of local, civil and international organizations, as well as international ambassadors, journalists and students at an event held in Bangkok on Monday, promising to suppress corruption and refrain from all forms of graft. The Thai prime minister acknowledged that his government has tackled 90 per cent of corruption in the country but the problem has not yet been completely eradicated, stressing that corruption in the previous government's rice-pledging scheme, which costs the state about 700 billion baht, has been investigated so that wrongdoers will be punished. The prime minister vowed to develop Thailand to be on top of a ranking in Asia in terms of the corruption-free environment although the Kingdom has been ranked better in a corruption ranking this year. According to the prime minister, corruption suppression by his government includes actions against illicit businesses, such as drug trafficking, which have also affected the national economy because the value of such businesses amounts to as much as 20 billion baht a month. The prime minister insisted that the anti-corruption fights by his government are impartial and based on evidence, warning affected parties not to stage a protest and to abide by law. (TNA)