EDITORIAL

Reconciliation bill at odds with national interest

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Sudden rush to pass contentious laws makes a mockery of peace moves

Amid all the uncertainties of Thai politics, one thing is clear. What is going on at present is not an effort to make peace. Neither side in the political divide seems ready to make sacrifices for the sake of national peace. This is why one insult after another has been hurled against the term "reconciliation". The people who matter either provoke their rivals or let the provocation get the better of them. All the wrong things are happening in the name of "justice" or "democracy" or the "rule of law".

If those campaigning against charter amendment or the reconciliation bills are rocking the boat, the other side is badly mistiming its proclaimed peace agenda. If the yellow shirts are obstructing "reconciliation" bills by protesting against them, the red shirts mock these bills by mobilising rallies in their support. If Thaksin Shinawatra's enemies are nit-picking him in their bid to block the reconciliation bills or charter amendment, the man himself chose the worst possible occasion to state how he had "the right" to reclaim "stolen" money.

Initially, it appeared Thailand would have a months-long break from political turmoil, pending the election of the Constitution Drafting Assembly and the CDA's highly delicate job of writing a new charter. The ruling camp's decision to put reconciliation bills up for immediate parliamentary deliberation, and the Constitution Court's virtual call to delay charter amendment have suddenly changed the complexion of the country's political landscape.

Exactly why the ruling party wants to pass the reconciliation bills now remain unclear. Government leaders had sent obvious signals that a reconciliation scheme, which the ruling camp believes must include a general amnesty, would wait for a new Constitution to be written by the CDA. The government's U-turn threatened a constitutional crisis, as an amnesty scheme could contravene the present charter, which provides strong legal back-up for consequences of the 2006 coup. But a constitutional crisis is less of a worry now, since rumbling street protests by those on each side of the political polarity have raised the possibility of renewed violence.

Meanwhile, the Constitution Court has preliminarily accepted petitions against the charter amendment bill that sought to pave the way for the setting up of the CDA and writing of a new charter. The court's action has angered the ruling Pheu Thai Party and the red shirt movement and led to the existing stand-off between the Pheu Thai-dominated House of Representative and the judiciary.

This Constitution Court issue involves two separate controversies. First, the petitions submitted to the court had not gone through the normal channel, albeit the Attorney General's Office. Whether the court is empowered to consider the petitions in the first place - let alone making a ruling on them - has been a subject of tumultuous debate.

The second controversy has to do with why the petitions were written in the first place. The current charter, enacted under a military government although through a referendum, allows itself to be "amended" by Parliament. That begs the question if the current charter allows itself to be practically dissolved and replaced by a new one written by a group of people outside Parliament. In other words, is it constitutional to set up the CDA and have it write a new charter? To inflame this particular controversy, the amendment bill that seeks to set up the CDA is criticised by opponents for failing to provide safeguards against possible CDA tampering with key institutions like the monarchy or check-and-balance mechanisms.

Photos of recent protests are ominous. Lines of riot police at Parliament and every newspaper headline sneers at whoever tries to describe what is going on in a country supposedly striving to restore peace. Nothing, it seems, has changed from a couple of years ago. It's just a political game being played in a new venue under new circumstances. "Reconciliation" is just a term everyone uses when it serves him, not vice-versa.

-- The Nation 2012-06-10

Great cartoon. I wonder which MP is the inspiration for monitor lizard charicature (sic) in the bottom right? Ideas on a postcard lol.

Great cartoon. I wonder which MP is the inspiration for monitor lizard charicature (sic) in the bottom right? Ideas on a postcard lol.

Chalerm for sure- the forked tongue is a dead set giveaway.

Hmmm..... do lizards have ears?

Edited June 10, 201214 yr by OzMick

Great cartoon. I wonder which MP is the inspiration for monitor lizard charicature (sic) in the bottom right? Ideas on a postcard lol.

Chalerm for sure- the forked tongue is a dead set giveaway.

Hmmm..... do lizards have ears?

Chalerm: Chieftain forked tongue is speaking to his tribe.

The cartoon is pretty accurate, no female.

Anyone with a active brain cell knows from day one it hasn't been about peace but getting Big T back. The PTP continues to use there bully boys the red shirts to intimidate anyone or any group that doesn't go along with there agenda, hows that for peace.

A few points.

Peace an reconciliation must be the 2 most abused words in Thailand.

The Amnesty bill is not wanted by Reds or Yellows so who will it reconcile?

How will the common man, woman or child benefit from it? Not a single baht.

It us all being done for one family, by those who will be rewarded for it under the disguise of reconciliation.

"Reconciliation" I wish they would stop using that word to describe the current process, it is obviously very missplaced when you look at what is really going on in the streets and in parliment, it is a buzz word that came from Thaksin to happily describe the (in reality) debacle he has created - The amnesty "hate" bill would be a much more fitting description - driving Thais against Thais in the streets and in government is hardly "Reconciliation"

A few points.

Peace an reconciliation must be the 2 most abused words in Thailand.

The Amnesty bill is not wanted by Reds or Yellows so who will it reconcile?

How will the common man, woman or child benefit from it? Not a single baht.

It us all being done for one family, by those who will be rewarded for it under the disguise of reconciliation.

"Not a single baht"

Actually it would be 700 baht, negative, from each and every person in Thailand if Thaksin gets handed his loot again.

I thought there was a judicial meeting Friday to finally decide on the 47 billion, haven't heard any result

Edited June 10, 201214 yr by smedly

Spot on assessment of the reality, not the façade.

Missing the blue whales in the cartoon.

Great cartoon. I wonder which MP is the inspiration for monitor lizard charicature (sic) in the bottom right? Ideas on a postcard lol.

Chalerm for sure- the forked tongue is a dead set giveaway.

Hmmm..... do lizards have ears?

Yes they have ears.

The cartoon is pretty accurate, no female.

Observant.

The cartoon is pretty accurate, no female.

Her busy schedule and all that...

The cartoon is pretty accurate, no female.

Her busy schedule and all that...

No point her being there anyway....After all, she can't fight over debate something when she does not know its contents....

.

After all, she can't fight over debate something when she does not know its contents.

De-bait was put on the hook to de-lude de fish who thought what a tender morsel.

Much like the P.T. angler who put de-bait on de-hook to de-lude de-voter B.500 seems to have been the de-bait price. Now the political de-bate price seems to be millions of baht as the price for the de-bate, thus the voters will be de-baited again.

Remember that all is not as it seems when one takes the de-bate bait.

Reconciliation would be putting all the people that committed crimes on trial and handing out the appropriate sentences, including additional charges against TS even if tried in absentia.

Reconciliation would be putting all the people that committed crimes on trial and handing out the appropriate sentences, including additional charges against TS even if tried in absentia.

Is as if you find a burglar at home, you catch him and knock him out with a punch, police comes around and tells you that in the name of reconciliation you let the burglar go with his loot and in turn he won't press assault charges against you . Also the policeman just so happens to be the burglars brother and pockets 5% of the burglary....

A few points.

Peace an reconciliation must be the 2 most abused words in Thailand.

The Amnesty bill is not wanted by Reds or Yellows so who will it reconcile?

How will the common man, woman or child benefit from it? Not a single baht.

It us all being done for one family, by those who will be rewarded for it under the disguise of reconciliation.

I'd say the two words would have to be 'democracy' and 'reconciliation'.