General Prawit said his reconciliation committee planned to boost the number of academics from as many fields as possible to sit on the committee.

He said the committee would brainstorm on 10 principal issues aimed at fostering co-existence among divided parties. Afterwards, the committee will hold a public hearing to gauge the views of the public before proceeding further, he said.

General Prawit expected that the process would take around three months. He downplayed concerns that the discussions will not yield any fruitful outcomes, saying the committee expected a positive result.

“I don’t want us to imagine too far. Let’s listen to them first because the parties shall contribute how they would co-exist from now on. Once agreed, then other procedures would follow,” he said.

The Prawit committee is tasked with taking care of reconciliation matters after the government, under Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s initiative, recently set up a new umbrella administrative committee for reform, reconciliation and national strategy in a bid to synthesise work which is seen as scattered among concerned bodies. Four other committees have been set up under it, including Prawit’s.

General Prawit earlier revealed that he expected “an agreement of truth” from those invited to discuss the reconciliation effort, especially political parties.

Prawit said the list of the committee members was not finalised, with the makeup to be decided by the umbrella committee chaired by PM Prayut.

Chief charter drafter Meechai Ruchupan gave a separate interview, saying reconciliation at this point was a future proposition and nobody knew how the conflicting parties would reconcile or whether there would be a law to support reconciliation.

However, the charter stated reconciliation meant just and fair treatment. Any laws out of this, he said, must take into account just and fair treatment for all.

Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, meanwhile, recommended that the umbrella committee chaired by PM Prayut be the centre of the reconciliation effort, as currently there were too many panels working on it.

The former prime minister, who handled the 2010 crackdown, said his party was contacted by the PM Prayut’s committee to give its views on reconciliation, while the National Reform Steering Assembly’s sub-panel and he National Legislative Assembly had also contacted it.

He is concerned the work will not be successful as there are too many panels working on the issue.

He said that caused confusion as well as possible new issues that could impede the process. Unity is needed for the work, and the PM’s committee should be the centre of that, he said.

Abhisit also said it should be made clear what reconciliation meant. It should mean removal of conditions that create conflicts in the society at large and the introduction of future preventive measures against violence out of differences, he said.

If concerned parties were given the same challenge to address, it would be easy for them to met the challenge and submit their proposals to PM Prayut’s committee at the same time without having to come up with answers from the different panels, he said.

Abhisit reiterated on the need to adhere to the rule of law for all without amnesty proposed, as earlier remarked by PM Prayut.