Prawit said that with a stable democracy, hopefully there would be no severe division between people with conflicting views. “We are trying to reach reconciliation through discussions with all elements including political parties, academics and civil societies,” he said.

“The road map won’t be changed for Thailand to be democratically stable in future. We are also working on reconciliation with all sectors so the country will be fractured no more,” Prawit said.

The road map, announced by the junta shortly after the 2014 coup, has been altered due to various circumstances, from the scrapping of the first charter draft to the coming Royal Funeral of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, expected to be held later this year.

In the latest update, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said that the election should not be held soon as political campaigns could disrupt the calm public atmosphere prior to the funeral.

Prawit, who oversees the governmental committee on building reconciliation, said that attempts were being made at “government and military” levels to issue a so-called “agreement of truth”.

“There is no need to sign the agreement, but we will see who will understand the points. For example, a protest after the establishment of the future government could breach our conclusions,” he said.

The conclusions, once heard from all invited sectors, should also be announced on TV for public acknowledgement, he added.

Prawit also warned red-shirt leader Jatuporn Promphan not to threaten him with demonstrations if the deputy PM’s reconciliation preparation committee failed to deliver a positive result in the next three months.

He was responding to earlier remarks from the chairman of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, who told Prawit that the ongoing reconciliation effort should result in progress by April or his red-shirt group would “make some changes”.

Jatuporn made the comment while opening a seminar forum staged parallel to the government’s reconciliation effort despite a junta ban on political gatherings.

“Don’t threaten me with protests. That should be enough,” Prawit said.

“I have opened doors to all levels of discussions. He may hold a seminar if he wants, but he’d better talk to me. If he breaks any law, I may need to prosecute him accordingly.”

The Pheu Thai Party said it would certainly send its representatives to attend a government-hosted discussion on national reconciliation today.

Surapong Tovichakchaikul, a key Pheu Thai figure, said groups involved in the effort had to sacrifice demands as it was impossible for everyone to get everything they wanted.