Bangkok - Thailand's Prime Minister said on Friday his five-point reconciliation roadmap has the widespread support of his people, despite skepticism from the opposition.

"An overwhelming 80 percent of Thais support what the government wants to do," said 46-year-old Abhisit during an interview with members of the Asian press, citing the results of a poll.

On Thursday, in a nationally-televised speech, he urged all Thais to unite and join the reconciliation process. For now, all eyes are on the prime minister as the nation anticipates the formation of a committee to tackle the reconciliation process.

"Our job is to prove to the opposition supporters that we are serious about the reconciliation agenda - and that we can deliver," he said.

The five-point roadmap was first announced on May 3 after two rounds of peace talks between the government - led by Abhisit - and the Red Shirt's United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD).

That agreement dictates that the monarchy must not be used as a tool in political conflicts; reforms must tackle economic disparities and inequality; the media must refrain from reports which exacerbate social or political conflicts; an independent fact-finding panel must be appointed to review fatalities involving security forces and protesters; and the reconciliation process must be carried out in cooperation with all sides involved.

The opposition has suggested the roadmap might be used to cover up the government's role in the deaths of almost 90 people during two months of red shirt protests in April and May.

Xu Liping, an expert on Southeast Asia at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the core of economic reform in Thailand should be to minimize the economic disparities between rich and poor, and between different regions.

"The root cause of the Red Shirts' protest was social confrontation as a result of the severe wealth gap," Xu said.

"The government's budget should favor rural areas and the poor," said Xu, adding that corruption is another stubborn problem that needs attention.

"It is a grave challenge for the current government to restore the people's confidence in the Thai economy," Xu said.

And although the reconciliation roadmap is consistent with Thailand's plan for national reforms, day-to-day life on the street is still far from upbeat.

"Hatred has not been eliminated from Thai society, but instead it has been further intensified," Xu said.

Cheng Guangjin contributed to this story.

China Daily

(China Daily 06/12/2010 page7)