Prawase Calls On Thaksin To Help Forge Genuine Reconciliation

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Prawase calls on Thaksin to help forge genuine reconciliation

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The reconciliation bill is unlikely to bring genuine reconciliation to Thailand, said National Reform Assembly chairman Prawase Wasi yesterday.

"You could see that as soon as the bill was proposed, people began to quarrel over it. However, I don't think the resulting conflicts will be so violent as Thais have learned lessons and will be careful," he said in an interview after speaking on reconciliation from the perspective of ordinary citizens.

In response to reporters' questions, Prawase conceded that former prime minister Thaksin was now the most powerful person in the reconciliation process as he is giving orders from abroad to the government and the Pheu Thai Party.

"I'd like to tell Thaksin that the best way to bring reconciliation to Thailand is to create a just society," said Prawase. "Thaksin is a very capable person. If he can do this, it will be historic. One step could be decentralisation of power to community level. If power was devolved to communities, military coups would be prevented, corruption would be harder to execute and power struggles less frequent. We also need reforms for more justice in many systems."

Prawase rejected the proposals that Thaksin should talk to Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda in efforts towards a general amnesty to cover actions of the 2006 coup, saying that only creating justice, especially for the poor, would bring reconciliation.

Asked whether Thaksin should return to the country and face court cases against him, Prawase said, "Some people's return can cause difficulties in society. [Former premier] Pridi Banomyong is an example - he had no case to face but he chose not to come back as he was worried it would cause possible conflicts. There are many who admire Thaksin and many who hate him. They might fight if he comes back. If he stays [in exile], he can control the government from afar."

Political Development Council chairman Suchit Bunbongkarn, speaking recently in a separate forum on reconciliation, warned the government that pushing issues such as charter amendment without first reaching broad political agreement would lead to further conflict. He added that citizens should free themselves of the patronage system that made them a tool for politicians.

Gothom Arya, director of Mahidol University's Research Centre for Peace Building, said the government must clarify its policy movements so as to quell rising fears over a hidden agenda. For example, it should make clear who were the stakeholders in the reconciliation bill and whether it was focused on easing Thaksin's plight.

-- The Nation 2012-06-15

[waza]

Thaksin may do a Pridi, but I think it will be against his will. "Political Development Council chairman Suchit Bunbongkarn, speaking recently in a separate forum on reconciliation, warned the government that pushing issues such as charter amendment without first reaching broad political agreement would lead to further conflict." as we have seen.

[Moruya]

The best way to reconciliation is to tell Thaksin to "create a just society"?

I guess there's always a possibility that turkeys may inherit the earth and outlaw the consumption of fowl.

[RisqEM]

Hey, here's an idea. Lets ask the cause of the problem to fix the problem!!! Great, sound logic!!! And the great comedy continues!!

[ratcatcher]

Hey, here's an idea. Lets ask the cause of the problem to fix the problem!!! Great, sound logic!!! And the great comedy continues!!

That's the way they do things here, then they wonder why the rest of the world won't take them seriously.

[LuckyLew]

"BANGKOK: -- The reconciliation bill is unlikely to bring genuine reconciliation to Thailand, said National Reform Assembly chairman Prawase Wasi yesterday."

This should be changed to:

BANGKOK: -- The reconciliation bill has absolutely no change to bring genuine reconciliation to Thailand, said National Reform Assembly chairman Prawase Wasi yesterday.

[pipo1000]

However, I don't think the resulting conflicts will be so violent as Thais have learned lessons and will be careful," he said

Sure and pigs will fly soon.

[OzMick]

If Thaksin was REALLY serious about reconciliation, he could achieve it a heartbeat. That would be serious as in "as serious as a heart-attack."

[letitbe]

its laugh a minute. Thank god we got over 70% of our assets out of here last year and it wont come back until Taksin is gone. So after

20 years of investing here very heavily this is first time I think risks of a one party taksin state or civil war are higher than ever before and ive been here through many coups but never seen this level of open corruption and total contempt for people and wellbeing of Thailand. This lot dont even try and pretend they are nothing but robber barons. at least in the past those in charge were a bit embarrassed and so hid their feeding at the trough.

[kimamey]

Thaksin is still a criminal with a jail sentence to serve as his sister seems unable to find a way to change that, hence the need for the amnesty.

We now have the brilliant suggestion that "If he stays [in exile], he can control the government from afar."

What a state for a county to be in. Controlled by a criminal who doesn't live here. It shows the strength of the government doesn't it? Completely unable to operate without him.

[waza]

Thaksin is still a criminal with a jail sentence to serve as his sister seems unable to find a way to change that, hence the need for the amnesty.

We now have the brilliant suggestion that "If he stays [in exile], he can control the government from afar."

What a state for a county to be in. Controlled by a criminal who doesn't live here. It shows the strength of the government doesn't it? Completely unable to operate without him.

The reality is its not even an amnesty, they will just wipe out his conviction and retry him and give him a clean criminal record and return the money he stole.

Thaksin and his wife had declared assets totaling 15.1 billion baht when he took

office in 2001, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thaksin_Shinawatra

According to Thailand's National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC), the former prime minister, who was ousted by the military coup on September 19, has been found only a few million baht richer while the wealth of his wife, Pojaman, has dropped by 1 billion baht (26.8 million U.S. dollars) over a five-year period.......As officially reported to the previous NCCC in March this year, Thaksin's assets amounted to 512 million baht (13.7 million U.S. dollars). The ousted prime minister reported no liabilities at that time...........

However, critics feel the declared assets are an unusually modest fraction of the actual value of the Thaksin family assets. U.S.-based Forbes magazine this year estimated the billionaire- turned-politician's assets at over 2 billion U.S. dollars.

According to the NCCC, the former prime minister appears to have had only a modest fortune compared to the 8.9 billion baht ( 240 million U.S. dollars) in wealth belonging to his wife, Pojaman, who also reported 110 million baht (3 million U.S. dollars) in debts. http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200610/21/eng20061021_313891.html

One year later, Tue, June 12, 2007..........

The AEC decided to have the assets frozen after gathering sufficient evidence to believe that Thaksin had committed malfeasance and became unusually wealthy, and after some Bt20 billion had already been withdrawn from the 21 accounts holding the Bt73 billion from the Shin Corp sale, Kaewsan said..........

In its orders released yesterday, the panel outlined five corruption cases against Thaksin and his associates, as well as six instances of "behaviour" while he was in power that led to him being labelled "unusually wealthy".

Kaewsan said the AEC would also try to track down the missing Bt20 billion, adding that the panel already had information on the bank accounts that originally held this money.......Meanwhile, Jatuporn Phrompan, organiser of the pro-Thaksin PTV, claimed the orders did not stem from the legal process........"They made a mistake by freezing Thaksin's assets because more and more people will join the protests [against the coup makers]," he said. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/06/12/headlines/headlines_30036641.php

[gand]

Reconciliation requires those guilty of crimes to be arrested, charged, found guilty and given the appropriate sentence.

[lannarebirth]

Thaksin is still a criminal with a jail sentence to serve as his sister seems unable to find a way to change that, hence the need for the amnesty.

We now have the brilliant suggestion that "If he stays [in exile], he can control the government from afar."

What a state for a county to be in. Controlled by a criminal who doesn't live here. It shows the strength of the government doesn't it? Completely unable to operate without him.

The reality is its not even an amnesty, they will just wipe out his conviction and retry him and give him a clean criminal record and return the money he stole.

Thaksin and his wife had declared assets totaling 15.1 billion baht when he took

office in 2001, http://en.wikipedia....ksin_Shinawatra

According to Thailand's National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC), the former prime minister, who was ousted by the military coup on September 19, has been found only a few million baht richer while the wealth of his wife, Pojaman, has dropped by 1 billion baht (26.8 million U.S. dollars) over a five-year period.......As officially reported to the previous NCCC in March this year, Thaksin's assets amounted to 512 million baht (13.7 million U.S. dollars). The ousted prime minister reported no liabilities at that time...........

However, critics feel the declared assets are an unusually modest fraction of the actual value of the Thaksin family assets. U.S.-based Forbes magazine this year estimated the billionaire- turned-politician's assets at over 2 billion U.S. dollars.

According to the NCCC, the former prime minister appears to have had only a modest fortune compared to the 8.9 billion baht ( 240 million U.S. dollars) in wealth belonging to his wife, Pojaman, who also reported 110 million baht (3 million U.S. dollars) in debts. http://english.peopl...021_313891.html

One year later, Tue, June 12, 2007..........

The AEC decided to have the assets frozen after gathering sufficient evidence to believe that Thaksin had committed malfeasance and became unusually wealthy, and after some Bt20 billion had already been withdrawn from the 21 accounts holding the Bt73 billion from the Shin Corp sale, Kaewsan said..........

In its orders released yesterday, the panel outlined five corruption cases against Thaksin and his associates, as well as six instances of "behaviour" while he was in power that led to him being labelled "unusually wealthy".

Kaewsan said the AEC would also try to track down the missing Bt20 billion, adding that the panel already had information on the bank accounts that originally held this money.......Meanwhile, Jatuporn Phrompan, organiser of the pro-Thaksin PTV, claimed the orders did not stem from the legal process........"They made a mistake by freezing Thaksin's assets because more and more people will join the protests [against the coup makers]," he said. http://www.nationmul...es_30036641.php

Gee that's not even enough to buy that British football team. Wonder how he managed that?