Draft Amendment To Amnesty Bill Is Deeply Suspicious

[webfact]

EDITORIAL

Draft amendment to amnesty bill is deeply suspicious

The Nation

As with the Printing Act, the Yingluck govt is using the cover of the flood crisis to push for a controversial plan that will further divide the country

The timing of the draft amnesty bill that the Cabinet of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra plans to put forward is highly controversial. While the details of the draft remain unclear, the amnesty plan has drawn criticism from many who question whether this decree is designed simply to pave the way for the return of fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

None of the Cabinet members have shed any light on this matter. In fact, the murky information surrounding the draft amnesty has fuelled speculation over the motives of the Pheu Thai-led government.

The controversy comes at a particularly bad time. The Kingdom is still recovering from the massive flood disaster, and we cannot afford another divisive issue of this staggering magnitude.

While ordinary people have joined forces to help the flood victims, the speculation over the Yingluck government's attempt to facilitate an amnesty and political return for Thaksin can only further polarise a nation that has hardly started its reconciliation process.

Yingluck cannot deny any responsibility on this matter even though she has tried to avoid the issue. Yingluck said she was not aware of the details of the draft because was absent from the Cabinet meeting this week. She claimed that she had to stay overnight in Sing Buri during her flood-relief visit there because her Russian-made MI17 helicopter did not have radar for night flights. She deferred the matter to Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung to chair the weekly Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, when the members discussed the royal decree seeking amnesty for convicts on His Majesty the King's birthday. Critics speculate that the move will pave the way for her brother's return.

It has been reported that the Cabinet endorsed the draft amendment to enable people convicted of corruption to be eligible for amnesty. In addition, it was also reported that the decree does not require convicts to serve a jail term before being eligible for the amnesty.

If this is the case, the draft decree would make Thaksin - who fled and refused to come back to Thailand to serve a two-year jail term - eligible for a royal amnesty. Thaksin remains in self-imposed exile after he was convicted of corruption charges.

Many political groups now plan to join hands against any attempt to bend the legal process to benefit Thaksin. The amnesty might be amended in good faith, but Yingluck and her Cabinet members did not bring any sense of transparency to the process by denying any knowledge of it.

Yingluck might try to play innocent. But she cannot deny any knowledge about the details of the meeting. After all, it is her brother who is the most contentious part of this controversy. In addition, Yingluck, as the head of the government, must be fully responsible for every single decision made by the Cabinet, even if those decisions are made at unscheduled or secret meetings that she is unable to attend.

Chalerm made things worse yesterday when he declined to give details of the royal decree, irresponsibly saying that it was a secret, even though he knows well how this issue will further divide an already beleaguered nation.

If Thaksin's political supporters want to bring the convicted former premier back to Thailand, they should instead try other options through the normal legal procedure, instead of trying to amend a royal decree and its traditions for the benefit of one person. Thaksin can return to Thailand at any time to fight his case. But he chose to flee into self-imposed exile, and has, at times, manoeuvred the Thai political scene, via his proxies, from overseas.

Thai politicians must not use the auspicious event of His Majesty the King's birthday, and exploit the timing of a national calamity, for their personal benefit. His Majesty the King's amnesty is an annual event to celebrate the auspicious occasion of his birthday. Amnesties are granted each year to remind us of the human ability to be redeemed. They are not meant to create a loophole for any convict or be manipulated to serve any political purpose.

-- The Nation 2011-11-17

[Nisa]

It is silly to say this was done under the cover of the flood given the date that royal amnesty is given. However, it clearly shows their priorities are mixed up. Thaksin's pardon can wait until next year to deal with given this crisis.

[MaxYakov]

It is silly to say this was done under the cover of the flood given the date that royal amnesty is given. However, it clearly shows their priorities are mixed up. Thaksin's pardon can wait until next year to deal with given this crisis.

Shirley, you jest.

An aside: Article title uses 'deeply suspicious' ... as opposed to 'shallowly suspicious', can we presume? Is this similar to 'intense scrutiny' I wonder.

Edited November 17, 2011 by MaxYakov

[sparebox2]

The law is wrote to benefit 1 man, and 1 man only.

[hellodolly]

It goes to show that the mans ego has no limits.

Just my opinion but the only ones that would buy this load of crap are the feeble minded and the people on the take.

The PT should remember that in fact there was more people that wanted some one else than wanted them.

[Tropicalevo]

It is silly to say this was done under the cover of the flood given the date that royal amnesty is given. However, it clearly shows their priorities are mixed up. Thaksin's pardon can wait until next year to deal with given this crisis.

No it can't - he has said that he will go to a family wedding next month!

[webfact]

a post and replies to it deleted

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[tominbkk]

Shameless government, sneaking around like that when there is so much suffering going on. Scumbaggy greedy asocial politicians, the PTP.

[MaxYakov]

What I find interesting (if not a little suspicious and amusing) is the watchful presence of Yongyuth Wichaidit (Deputy PM, chairman of the Pheu Thai Party and a Thaksin crony) in virtually every one of YS's public showings. Here she and he are yesterday, I believe, at a food prep rally. Is he looking over her left shoulder to make sure she didn't miss any ingredients ... or is he simply hungry ... for a very public video presence?

Edited November 17, 2011 by MaxYakov

[tracy3eyes]

What I find interesting (if not a little suspicious and amusing) is the watchful presence of Yongyuth Wichaidit (Deputy PM, chairman of the Pheu Thai Party and a Thaksin crony) in virtually every one of YS's public showings. Here she and he are yesterday, I believe, at a food prep rally. Is he looking over her left shoulder to make sure she didn't miss any ingredients ... or is he simply hungry ... for a very public video presence?

Sh And Crony Mafia.

Super crims with no integrity or care for the people.

When will the Thai people wake up and rid themselves of the parasites that plague them

[Robby nz]

Interesting that an army spokesman said in Tele thet the chopper did have radar and could fly at night.

Who told the lie?

[OzMick]

Interesting that an army spokesman said in Tele thet the chopper did have radar and could fly at night.

Who told the lie?

Is the army spokesman a known perjurer?

[swillowbee]

... "deeply suspicious"? ... hardly.

... this is the last best chance for a Thai government of Super-Criminals to try to get this into the net ... this might be do or die for the Super-Criminal Shinawatra ... uh, the Thaksin one, not the other one.

Edited November 17, 2011 by swillowbee

[katasyd]

Another coup will happen.

By amending the draft, it drags the king into the political arena again as he is the one who must sign the pardon.

Pheu Thai will jump up and down if his majesty doesn't sign.

Bad bad times ahead.

[sparebox2]

Shameless government, sneaking around like that when there is so much suffering going on. Scumbaggy greedy asocial politicians, the PTP.

Agree. This is the time to fight flood, not Thaksin. For the better of Thailand, Thaksin should stay out of Thailand forever.

[Lite Beer]

Chalerm: Royal pardon decree not aimed at helping particular person

Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung said Thursday that the draft royal pardon decree has been drafted according to the legal framework.

Chalerm said the decree was not drafted with an intention to help a particular person.

Critics said the criteria for convicts to be eligible for royal pardon on His Majesty's birthday were designed to help former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra escape jail term.

Chalerm said if the opposition submits an interpollation to question him about the draft decree, he would be able to explain the issue

-- The Nation 2011-11-17

[krading]

This amendment will be passed because it benefits every crooked politician in the country,

and we all know how many of them there are.

[alstaxi]

This amendment will be passed because it benefits every crooked politician in the country,

and we all know how many of them there are.

Many, but none more corrupt and self serving than the one in Dubai.

[MEL1]

Time to deal with flood, not deal with blood. :jap:

mel.

[Thaddeus]

This amendment will be passed because it benefits every crooked politician in the country,

and we all know how many of them there are.

There are quite a few of them, but I can only think of one who is currently a convicted criminal who has fled the country without serving a single day.

[virtualtraveller]

As always, the reporting on this pardon thing is always murky. It's not clear at all whether there are set criteria for issuing the annual pardons, how transparent they are and whether the govt of the day has some flexibility in the rules (how set in stone is it, that the pardoned must first serve part of the sentence). In any case, now is the correct time for them to be considering the list, but the manner it which its been done is classic 'dodgy' PTP/PPP/TRT.

Also, it's not been made clear whether the King, who signs this thing, gets the final say. Certainly, if I was taking the credit for releasing criminals I would want to decide which, since in this case it's clearly going to lead to some very serious rifts and possible street protests and instability in Thailand.

There has to be some sort of legal procedure, is it really that easy for a govt to grant a pardon to one of it's own, without having to justify it to the courts.

Given the outrage at the decree's mere mention, I doubt that they will ultimately bring Thaksin home on this one, and if they do I predict a return to the PAD siege of govt house in 2008, and worse if the UDD decided to retaliate.

You can understand the blatancy of it all, Thaksin is desperate to take full advantage of his position in power now, before the system disqualifies his govt and steals power from him like last time.

[Langsuan Man]

Chalerm: Royal pardon decree not aimed at helping particular person

Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung said Thursday that the draft royal pardon decree has been drafted according to the legal framework.

Chalerm said the decree was not drafted with an intention to help a particular person.

Critics said the criteria for convicts to be eligible for royal pardon on His Majesty's birthday were designed to help former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra escape jail term.

Chalerm said if the opposition submits an interpollation to question him about the draft decree, he would be able to explain the issue

-- The Nation 2011-11-17

If it looks like a duck

Quacks like a duck

Chances are pretty good that it is a duck

[JohnAllan]

26,000 seems a helluva a lot of amnesty releases, anyway.

Now included will be those sentenced for corruption and drug dealing.

Does it already include murderers and rapists? Or are they a bridge too far?

[wxyz]

why the need for a secret meeting

that has been the plan all along

[Artisi]

Chalerm: Royal pardon decree not aimed at helping particular person

Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung said Thursday that the draft royal pardon decree has been drafted according to the legal framework.

Chalerm said the decree was not drafted with an intention to help a particular person.

Critics said the criteria for convicts to be eligible for royal pardon on His Majesty's birthday were designed to help former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra escape jail term.

Chalerm said if the opposition submits an interpollation to question him about the draft decree, he would be able to explain the issue

-- The Nation 2011-11-17

If it looks like a duck

Quacks like a duck

Chances are pretty good that it is a duck

Well one sure way around this is to specifically exclude Thaksin from the list to be pardoned on the understanding that his pardon will be handled seperately thru the normal channels, not that should be ok to all parties concerned.

[yoshiwara]

During the flood crisis, forum Thaksin apologists have been getting all indignant, jumping on their high horses and declaiming that the management of the flood should not be politicised. We should all pull together. All crocodile tears. Now, before the flood is behind us, or should one say, past us, Thaksin launches his come back plan and the PTP reps openly lie as to the means to get him back. Now where are our brave forum red cheerleaders with their cries of national unity to prioritise the flood and its victims? Nowhere. Suddenly silent and adjusting their clothing ready for a great about turn. Flood priority be damned. These guys do not have one left-wing, socialist bone in their spines. They are bought and paid for. There is only one reason and one reason only why the so-called plan for amnesty is secret. Because it stinks. More than the scum residue of the passing waters. Watching the PTP openly lie might bring a smirk to the Thaksin supporters' faces but now they cannot hide their true face, the one on full display coming out of the shadows.