The premier was speaking at the Human Rights for Thailand 4.0 event on Monday organised by the Justice Ministry.

He said the government pays attention to human rights protection and instructs investigations into allegations concerning the issue. However, these allegations need to be delicately handled when it comes to the performance of state officials. The bottom line lies with the law and whether it has been violated, he said.

People, he said, should learn about the law and how it affects their lives. The law will ultimately help protect everyone and ensure equal access to resources, Prayut said.

“It’s not that the poor commit wrongdoings and they will definitely go to jail, while the rich will not. The fact is that the rich have often fled the scene, and that’s why we see that they don’t go to jail. It’s not a problem with the justice system.

“The law is not there to bully anyone. If one commits wrongdoings, he or she must go through it and fight for justice,” said Prayut.

Although he said he was not talking about any particular case, his comments appeared to be a reference to former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who fled the country before the verdict reading in the negligence case regarding her government’s rice-pledging scheme.