Thai Govt Reconciliation Move In The Balance

[webfact]

RECONCILIATION

Govt reconciliation move in the balance

The Nation

Democrat MPs quit panel in protest at Sonthi's failure to review 'biased' report

BANGKOK: -- Badly-splintered reconciliation efforts were in disarray yesterday after nine Democrats resigned from the House special committee that is poised to submit to Parliament its report on how to find political peace.

The House committee's report, which the government hopes would form the core of a reconciliation blueprint, was deemed by the Democrats to be biased in favour of Thaksin Shinawatra and his supporters.

The resignation was in protest against the chairman, former coupmaker General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, after he refused to review the report despite strong caution from those who made it, researchers of the King Prajadhipok's Institute. The researchers had voiced concern that the committee may have mistreated the document.

The resignations were announced by Phatthalung MP Nipit Inthara-sombat. He said the government had shown it does not attach importance to coming up with reconciliatory measures for the entire country, but was giving priority to red-shirts and their supporters. "Thus, we will leave the government to reconcile with the red shirts on their own," Nipit said.

Nipit told Thai Rath Online that the resignations were in protest at panel chairman Sonthi's refusal to review or modify the reconciliation proposals of the KPI.

Nipit said the Democrats, who were minority members of the ad hoc panel, submitted a request to Sonthi on Thursday, asking him to review the proposals of the KPI on national reconciliation - but Sonthi would not listen to the demands of the minority side on the panel.

Among the KPI's proposals was the expunging of all legal cases of the Assets Examination Committee. Sonthi decided to submit the report and proposals of the KPI to the House for endorsement.

Nipit said the KPI itself had backed down from its proposals, asking the panel to first review the pros and cons of its three proposals before rushing them before the House. But Sonthi was still determined to submit the KPI's proposals to the House for a majority vote.

Democrat leader and opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva has written three open letters to the KPI and Sonthi asking for a review of the report and the proposals but his requests have gone unheeded.

Sonthi Boonyaratglin, chairman of the House committee on national reconciliation, said yesterday his panel has completed its report on reconciliation proposals and would submit the report to Parliament for further study and deliberation.

Sanan Kachornprasart, chief adviser to the coalition Chart Thai Pattana Party, yesterday called on Sonthi to postpone submission of his panel's report to Parliament. He said it was because the research study by Parliament's King Prajadhipok's Institute on which the panel's report was based failed to cover all the important issues.

"Many parties disagree on the KPI study report. If they still want to rush the matter for early parliamentary deliberation [today], there will be worse division," Sanan said.

Pheu Thai MP Jatuporn Prom-phan, who is also a red shirt leader, yesterday criticised the nine Democrat MPs who resigned from the Sonthi panel.

Jatuporn said the Democrats were "narrow-minded and wanted to return to power through military help again".

House of Representatives secretary-general Pitoon Phumhirun said yesterday that in today's joint sitting of the two Houses, there is a motion to vote on whether Parliament would approve deliberation of non-legislative issues during the current ordinary legislative session. He said the meeting was not intended to endorse the Sonthi panel's report.

In a related development, former prime minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh yesterday issued an open letter in response to opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva's open letter that expressed concern that the proposed general amnesty would severely damage the country's justice system.

In his letter, Chavalit expressed support for a general amnesty, saying it would help improve the image of Thailand's justice system. He said it would help prevent the use of the judiciary in attempting to solve political problems.

The KPI report proposed that all legal cases stemming from investigation by the post-coup Assets Examination Committee should be expunged and that a general amnesty should be given to all those involved in the political conflicts, including offenders in criminal cases. Many critics viewed these proposals as an attempt to help whitewash ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra's wrongdoings.

-- The Nation 2012-03-27

[CalgaryII]

Reconciliation is like "kicking a dead horse"........ Fohget about it......... Is 'reconciliation' code for seeking what one cannot get via other means? Besides, who should be the reconcilors and who are those who need to be reconciled. Without admissions, just stick to elections.

[Pib]

This reconciliation process is moving along in such a friendly and smooth manner.

[Thai at Heart]

Didn't even review the report?

At least he isn't trying to avoid the accusation that it is a whitewash.

[OzMick]

Jatuporn's response - change the subject.

[anterian]

When people resign in protest I always feel this is a self defeating action.

[Siripon]

How can the leader of the coup be the chairman of a reconciliation committee? Surely it should be a non- participant?

[webfact]

Democrat Party Denies Political Wrangling over Pull-out from Reconciliation Panel

BANGKOK: -- The Democrat Party has withdrawn its nine representatives from the House committee on national reconciliation chaired by 2006 coup maker General Sonthi Boonyaratklin.

The party denies it is trying to hinder the peace process.

Democrat Party List MP Ong-ard Klampaiboon said the party's nine representatives will pull out of the House committee on national reconciliation and their resignation letters will be formally submitted to the panel's chair General Sonthi Boonyaratklin later on.

The MP noted that the committee is acting with unusual haste in putting forward its suggestions for Parliament's consideration and his party does not want to be involved in a potentially erroneous process.

The Democrat Party last week proposed the extension of the committee's working time frame on grounds that there are still various disagreements on matters which necessitate further review. The Opposition party denied trying to start a political wrangling.

Ong-ard also questioned over whether the rush could be linked with reports that former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has planned his return to Thailand at the end of this year.

-- Tan Network 2012-03-27

[sparebox2]

How can the leader of the coup be the chairman of a reconciliation committee? Surely it should be a non- participant?

he didn't do well in his last job (coup maker), hence he change job (to the other side).

Good luck to him.

[Lite Beer]

Reconciliation to proceed despite Democrats' exit

The Nation

BANGKOK:-- The departure of nine Democrats in the House committee on reconciliation will not impact on the legislative process to mend fences, coalition chief whip Udomdej Rattanasatien said on Tuesday. "Reconciliation will move forward," he said.

Udomdej said the nine Democrats resigned after the House committee had already completed its report within the 150-day deadline. Furthermore, the report was submitted for the House deliberation, he added.

The today's House-Senate session will be a non-voting meeting to give the greenlight for the House to debate the reconciliation measures as per the committee report, he said.

Since the current parliamentary session is restricted to enacting laws, the House needs the endorsement from the Senate if it is to debate a non-legislative issue, such as reconciliation.

Pheu Thai MP Samart Kaewmechai, speaking in his capacity as deputy committee chair for reconciliation, said the committee did not rush to draw conclusion nor neglect to review the reconciliation measures as per the recommendations of the King Prajadhipok's Institute as alleged by the Democrats.

Samart said any reservations about the KPI report will be debated and resolved the House and not the committee.

The Democrats claimed that the committee's push to repeal the Asset Examination Committee work was a pretext to rescue fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra from his conviction and punishment.

Opposition chief whip Jurin Laksanawisit said the opposition lawmakers had no intent to block the reconciliation process.

The opposition merely wanted to call attention to a suspicious move by the government to invoke its majority to speed up the homecoming for Thaksin regardless of the consequences on the judicial system and the political strife, he said.

Samart countered that the Democrats have allowed their imagination to run wild because whether the Thaksin amnesty issue will happen hinges on a consensus in society.

He denied the coalition was resorting to trickery in order to rescue Thaksin.

-- The Nation 2012-03-27

[WackySomchai]

When considering what the fugitive and his hired redshirts did, our country cannot move forward until they do some serious time behind bars ...

[ballpoint]

Reconciliation to proceed despite Democrats' exit

Reconciliation will take place on our terms, even if half the country is against it.