BANGKOK — The chairman of Thailand’s military junta and his deputy have suggested that the date of the next national election may be postponed from October 2015 to early 2016.

After staging a coup on 22 May, Thailand's junta – known as the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) – said it would cede power to an elected government in October 2015 after pursuing a wide range of national reforms.

But NCPO chairman Prayuth Chan-ocha, who is also now Prime Minister of the interim government, said today that the military’s “roadmap to democracy” may need to be extended. 

"It depends on when the new constitution and reforms will be finished," Gen. Prayuth told reporters before boarding a plane to an international summit in Italy this morning. "It takes time to prepare for an election. It's not like we can organise an election tomorrow just because we have scheduled the poll. Elections take time."

Gen. Prayuth's comments came after his deputy, Visanu Krue-ngam, said yesterday that the public should not be "surprised" if the next election is organized several months after the promised date. 

"It wouldn’t be surprising if the [election] took place in 2016," Visanu said. "Because the new permanent constitution will only be ready by September 2015. There will be many laws about the election that need to be passed, too. It may take two months for parliament to approve each law."

According to Visanu, at least three laws will have to be in place before a new election can be held: the Election Act, the Political Parties Act, and the Election Commission Act.

"After these laws are passed, we will have to allow time for political parties to form and canvass for votes. We have to add this time too, and I don't know how long it will take," Visanu said.

He quickly added, "But we are not deliberately delaying [the election]."

At the press conference this morning, Gen. Prayuth also asked the media focus on the reform process and stop asking about the date of the election.

"Stop pressuring me about this, I have already spoken. It's over. Everything has to depend on the roadmap," Gen. Prayuth told reporters. "The question is, can they do what the roadmap describes? I am not the only one involved in the roadmap. I am not the head of the NRC [National Reform Council] or the head of the Constitution Drafting Committee.”

The National Reform Council (NRC) was appointed by the NCPO earlier this month and has been tasked with proposing reforms across a wide range of sectors. The NCPO and interim government will also form another committee early next month that will draft a new constitution to replace the charter dissolved by the coupmakers shortly after they seized power.

BANGKOK — A severely indebted Thai rice farmer set herself on fire among a crowd of other petitioners inside the government complaint centre in Bangkok today.

Sangwian Raksapetch, a 52-year-old woman from Lopburi province, was seeking help from officials about the massive debt she owes to a moneylender. Officials say Sangwian’s original debt of 400,000 baht skyrocketed to 1.5 million baht because of a high interest rate.

Suksawat Suwannapong, the official who received Sangwian's complaint, said he was on the phone with another official in Lopburi's Kok Samrong district to seek more information about the debt when Sangwian suddenly shouted "So you can't help me?," doused herself with a bottle of petrol, and set herself on fire.

Bureaucrats at the centre scrambled to help the woman and called ambulance. She has been taken to Vajira Hospital. Rescue workers describe her condition as "critical."

Police said they also found a knife in Sangwian's bag and are investigating the incident.

The complaint centre, which is housed in the Office of The Civil Service Commission (OCSC) headquarters just opposite the Government House in Bangkok, was set up by the junta's National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) after it seized power on 22 May to receive opinions and grievances from the public. 

Despite the country's reputation as a major exporter of rice, many Thai farmers live in poverty and are stuck in annual cycles of debt. 

BANGKOK — Dozens of police officers surrounded Democracy Monument last night to prevent a group of Redshirt supporters from picnicking on the monument's steps.

The Redshirts originally planned to hold a laab (northeastern-style pork salad) picnic at the historic site on Ratchadamnoen Avenue to commemorate the 41st anniversary of the student uprising against military rule in 1973.

But the group decided to change their plans and dine at a restaurant opposite the monument after dozens of police officers arrived at the scene.

"We are here today to have dinner and reminisce about the old days," said Arnon Nampha, a lawyer who organised the dinner and has represented many Redshirts and lese majeste suspects in trial.

"Forty-one years ago, the student movement fought for democracy and asked for a constitution," he said. "Today, we are back to that past. There's no permanent constitution, no election, and we don't know when those things will return."

Arnon said he organised the dinner party to insist on people's right to enjoy their lives normally under the current "stressful situation." He said his group had no intention of engaging in any political activities or protests. 

"We just invited people to join us for dinner," Arnon said. "We have no demand or message for the NCPO [an acronym for the junta's National Council for Peace and Order]. We have no agenda." 

However, a handful of police cars remained stationed around Democracy Monument with their siren lights on throughout the dinner party, and dozens of police officers – some in plain clothing –  watched the group as they ate.

Thai authorities did not however interfere with other activities marking the anniversary of the student uprising, despite the junta's ban on public protests or political seminars. In contrast to several efforts to block recent political academic forums, authorities allowed student activists at Thammasat University, the site of the 1973 uprising, to hold a public seminar yesterday comparing recent student movements in Hong Kong to the 1973 uprising. 

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BANGKOK — The five suspects accused by Thai police of acting as armed militants in the 2010 Redshirt protests have recanted their confessions, their lawyer says.

All five suspects said they were tortured by police into confessing, their lawyer Winyat Chartmontri told reporters today. 

"They could not endure any more abuse, so they confessed," Winyat said. 

Kittisak Soomsri, Preecha Yooyen, Ranarit Suricha, Chamnarn Phakeechai, and Punika Chusri were accused by Thai police of belonging to the shadowy 'Blackshirt' militant cell that fought with security forces during the crackdown on Redshirt demonstrators in Bangkok on 10 April 2010. 

Twenty civilians and five soldiers were killed in the clashes, including Col. Romklao Thuvatham, a high-ranking military officer who led the operation. 

It is unclear when the five suspects were arrested, but chief of Thai police Pol.Gen. Somyot Pumphanmuang paraded them in front of the media in a press conference in September. The five suspects were ordered to "re-enact" their alleged crime on Ratchadamnoen Avenue. According to Pol.Gen. Somyot, all of the suspects confessed.

Winyat, the lawyer representing the five suspects, insisted that he did not intend to discredit Pol.Gen. Somyot or any other official in his petition to the Attorney-General. "I just want to present the facts to the Attorney," Winyat said.

Winyat and representatives from the Lawyers for Human Rights organisation also petitioned the Office of Attorney-General, urging the court to "give fairness" to the four men and one woman who are currently awaiting trial in prison.

The development is bound to be viewed as another blow to the credibility of the Thai police force, which has a history of extracting confessions through physical abuse and intimidation. 

The investigation into the five alleged Blackshirt militants has already raised many questions, with police failing to explain exactly how the suspects were arrested, especially after it emerged that one of the suspects, Kittisak, was held incommunicado by the military for a week prior to the press conference.

The Thai police are also currently embroiled in a separate controversy over the arrest of two Burmese migrant workers accused of murdering two British backpackers in southern Thailand on 15 September. 

Human rights groups have alleged that the two Burmese men were "scapegoats," tortured into confessing to the crime without proper access to an interpreter or lawyer. Pol.Gen. Somyot repeatedly denied the allegation and insisted that the two men voluntarily confessed to their charges.

Yesterday, BBC News reported that the Thai charge d'affaires in London was summoned to the United Kingdom's Foreign Office over concerns about the inquiry into the murders of two British tourists. The FCO reportedly told the Thai diplomat that there was a real concern in the UK about how the investigation has been handled by Thai authorities.

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BANGKOK — Junta chairman and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha sent a close aide to represent him at this morning's commemoration of the 41st anniversary of the student uprising against Thailand's military government in 1973.

Panadda Diskul, head of the Prime Minister's Office, attended the ceremony held by a memorial for the October 14^th uprising on Ratchadamnoen Avenue this morning.

A handful of other high-ranking officials also participated in the service, including Surachai Liangboonlertchai, deputy speaker of the National Legislative Assembly, and Amara Pongpapitchaya, chairwoman of the National Human Rights Commission.

The event, organised annually by the "October 14 Foundation," involved making merit to monks on behalf of the 70+ people who died in the uprising, and reading eulogies praising their "sacrifice" for Thai democracy. 

The October 1973 uprising was sparked by the arrest of 20 activists who were calling to replace the military junta at the time with a permanent constitution and elected government. In response, student activists organised a rally at Thammasat University to demand their release, quickly drawing crowds of students from other universities and schools in Bangkok.

On 13 October, hundreds of thousands of demonstrators flooded Ratchadamnoen Avenue in a show of support. The military attempted to disperse the protesters on the following day, leading to riots and clashes in the capital city that killed at least 70 people.

The leaders of the military junta, including Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn, fled the country a day later, ending more than a decade of military rule in Thailand. 

Lamiad Boonmak, whose husband Jira Boonmak was the first person to die in the uprising, said at the remembrance ceremony this morning that she has never been adequately compensated.

"I have been pressing the authorities to push for a financial compensation for the families of the martyrs who died or were injured in the October 14 incident, for 7,000 baht for month," Lamiad said. "The petition is still being considered by the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security."

Lamiad also said she was surprised by the military coup on 22 May, as she did not expect to see another resurrection of military rule in Thailand, but added that she understood the military's intention to solve "political conflicts" and prevent bloodshed.

"The military takeover contradicts the ideals of the 14 October martyrs, but since it already happened, I have to accept it. I and other families of the martyrs are hereby calling on Gen. Prayuth to quickly return power to the people, create a new constitution, and hold an election."

She also called for amnesty for political prisoners from both the Redshirt and Yellowshirt factions to promote "reconciliation" for the country. 

Several student activist groups in Bangkok are also planning to hold events commemorating the uprising later today, in defiance of the current military junta's ban on all political gatherings, protests, and academic seminars.