Bangkok: Anutin returns to the Ministry of Interior. No civil servants will be transferred, but the appropriateness of the appointments must be considered, as personal matters must not be involved. He insists the "Singha MoI" has three colors: red, white, and blue, and cannot be dissolved. He has also thrown the responsibility to the Ministry of Interior Personnel Division to clarify the issue of "Captain Cat" assisting the House of Representatives.
According to Thai News Agency, Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, Anutin Charnvirakul, gave an interview regarding the Ministry of the Interior's policy. He stated that the Ministry's policy focuses on restoring justice to transferred civil servants. He stated that transfers are the responsibility of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of the Interior, with the exception of civil servants at levels C10 and C11, who will then submit proposals to the Minister for approval, which will then be forwarded to the Cabinet for acknowledgement. Regarding complaints regarding the transfers of civil servants during the previous government, Anutin stated that he should allow them to perform their duties first. He stated that on September 29-30, he had received confirmation from the Speaker of the House that the Cabinet's policy statement would be included on the agenda. Both houses will convene, after which the Cabinet will be able to perform its duties fully.
Regarding the speculation that many parties might reshuffle civil servants, Mr. Anutin stated that he had been asked about this matter three or four times. He added that nothing is personal; everything is a public matter, a matter for the country and its people. When asked whether there might be changes to the original order after October 1st, Mr. Anutin stated that everything must be appropriate, in accordance with the situation and circumstances.
Regarding Mr. Phumtham Wechayachai, former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, who previously gave a policy to Ministry of the Interior officials to dissolve all the colors of the lion and merge them into a single color, Mr. Anutin stated that the Ministry of the Interior has three colors: red, white, and blue, which are the colors of the national flag. They cannot be dissolved because if they are dissolved, there will be no national flag.
When asked again if the Black Lions and Red Lions were no longer in existence, Mr. Anutin stated that we must break free of selfishness, disunity, bullying, and the pursuit of personal gain. These things must be burned. However, we cannot break free of the issues of civil service, citizenship, and national identity. We must preserve them, as we share the same goal: the country, the people, and the monarchy.
Regarding the special transfer of Police Lieutenant Colonel Athitiya Benjapak from the Department of Provincial Administration to Parliament, Mr. Anutin simply replied that the matter should be discussed with the Director of the Personnel Division of the Department of Provincial Administration, who would be happy to ask him anything.