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The Statesman Thursday 29th January, 2015

Bangkok, 28 January

Thai junta chief and Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha has said the coup staged by the army was aimed at saving democracy and made it clear that he will not lift the martial law as it could lead to political turmoil.

"Thai democracy will never die, because I'm a soldier with a democratic heart. I have taken over the power because I want democracy to live on," he was quoted as saying by the Nation newspaper today. He claimed that the situation in Thailand was unique, as nowhere else was a coup staged to restore democracy. "We are building democracy every day. I did not seize power to give money away to this or that person or take it as my own property," said Gen Prayut, who seized power last year ousting Yingluck Shinawatra, the country's first woman prime minister, in a bloodless military coup.

"Although this government came from a seizure of power, it happened because there was no (effective) government (at the time). Though there was a government, it was as good as not having one. Where was Yingluck Shinawatra? She couldn't perform her duty because she had been removed by the Constitution Court," Gen Prayut said.

Insisting that the people should recognise the fact that Thailand is still free, Gen Prayut said he could have exercised his power as junta leader and placed former premier Yingluck under house arrest or stopped her from meeting certain people, but he chose not to do so.

Prayut said 21 envoys had met wit...

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Coup aimed to save democracy Thai PM