Pheu Thai plays down poll showing public happier with military than government
Pheu Thai downplays poll showing more public trust in military than government over Thai-Cambodian border conflict handling.
The ruling Pheu Thai Party on Sunday sought to downplay the results of an opinion survey indicating that the public has more confidence in the armed forces than in the government when it comes to handling the Thai-Cambodian border conflict.
Public confidence in military ‘understandable’
Pheu Thai spokesman Danuporn Punnakan said it was natural for people to trust the military in this matter, as it is the primary agency responsible for defending Thailand’s territory.
He added that the public’s confidence in the armed forces did not mean they distrusted the government, as the military operates under the administration’s direction. Danuporn stressed that the government has established several committees to address the border situation, with participation from both government officials and military representatives.
Survey results favour armed forces
Danuporn was responding to an opinion survey conducted by the National Institute of Development Administration (Nida Poll) and released on Sunday.
According to the poll:
- 62.52% of respondents said they were very confident in the armed forces to defend the national interest in the border conflict with Cambodia.
- Only 11.99% expressed confidence in the government.
- 61.76% said they were satisfied with the armed forces’ performance in resolving the conflict.
- Just 10.31% said the same about the government.
“It’s right for the people to have confidence in the armed forces as they are the main operators in this situation. The government and the armed forces are united in their operations,” Danuporn said.
Government rejects suggestion of poor performance
When asked whether the results reflected dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of the situation, Danuporn disagreed.
“I don’t think so. People understand well that when a conflict breaks out, the main agency to deal with it is the military, which is responsible for defending the country’s sovereignty. It is a good thing for people to have confidence in the armed forces,” he said.
