Bangkok: Anutin Charnvirakul, Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, has underscored the importance of honesty in politics, asserting that politicians who engage in deceit or slander risk losing their credibility with the public. This comment comes in the wake of a contentious discussion over land ownership in Nakhon Ratchasima Province.
According to Thai News Agency, Anutin addressed the controversy involving Mr. Thanadol Suwannarit, an advisor to the Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives. Thanadol had previously suggested that the landowners in Pak Chong District, including the property known as 'Rancho Charnvee', were involved in illegal activities. However, in a recent interview, he conceded that the land was obtained legally. Anutin noted that his family acquired the land through official documents from the Land Department, emphasizing that there was no wrongdoing involved.
Anutin expressed no intention of demanding accountability from Thanadol, despite the latter's earlier attempts to associate the land with illegal activities. He stressed that political disputes should not devolve into fruitless legal battles. Anutin reiterated that any accusations of slander or false information would ultimately undermine the accuser's credibility.
He remarked, "The most important thing in politics is to avoid slander and false information. Those who engage in such acts will lose credibility, and in the future, people will not believe what they say. If someone aims to target my family to affect me politically, it's pointless because there is no criminal liability involved. We can prove our actions were legal, having purchased the land from villagers."
Anutin concluded by stating that political resilience involves weathering such controversies. "If we can't stand this much, how can we be in politics? We've been through worse. If we did something wrong, it cannot be rectified, but if we did nothing wrong, there's no issue," he affirmed.