White House visit confirmed, will lend legitimacy to coup-installed Thai prime minister

 The Washington Times// White House visit confirmed, will lend legitimacy to coup-installed Thai prime minister

   BANGKOK — Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has received his coveted Washington date. The White House confirmed late Monday that President Trump would host the coup-installed former army chief in the Oval Office on Oct. 3.
The news met with mixed reaction in Thailand. Mr. Prayuth and his aides say the invitation confirms the prestige and legitimacy of the government and its new constitution, while opposition parties and rights organizations warned that it could accelerate the erosion of democracy and civil liberties in a longtime U.S. ally.

“Prayuth and the generals crave legitimacy, particularly from the U.S. and [European Union], who have criticized revolving-door coups and governments in Thailand over the past 10 years,” Paul Quaglia, a former CIA officer in Bangkok, said in an interview.
Human Rights Watch denounced the invitation, saying Mr. Trump has “shamelessly thrown human rights considerations out the window.”
Mr. Trump extended the invitation to Mr. Prayuth in a phone call in April, but it took months to settle on a date. The Trump administration also has made moves to thaw the diplomatic and security tensions that characterized bilateral relations under President Obama.
Speaking to reporters in Bangkok on Tuesday, Mr. Prayuth said the two leaders would discuss “security, trade and investment, and regional problems” in what he expects to be a “cordial climate,” according to the Agence France-Presse news service.