Reconciliation: Pheu Thai Gives Its Backing To Charoen's Mission

[webfact]

RECONCILIATION
Pheu Thai gives its backing to Charoen's mission
The Nation

Prompong urges Democrats to reconsider stand on amnesty; Suriyasai doubts deputy speaker's credentials

BANGKOK: -- The Pheu Thai Party yesterday reaffirmed its support for Deputy House Speaker Charoen Chankomol's reconciliation campaign ahead of today's scheduled mediation meeting.

"What Charoen is doing will benefit all sides," ruling party spokesman Prompong Nopparit said.

Prompong urged the opposition Democrats to abandon their boycott and join Charoen's mediation efforts.

Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva had supported the reconciliation process before his party's spokesman Chavanond Intara-komalyasut revealed the opposition's about-turn, he said.

The Democrats should reconsider their stance on amnesty and reconciliation because their unjustified antagonism would show them in a bad light for trying to stoke the political conflict for self-serving gains, he said.

Charoen will kick start and chair the mediation talks on amnesty and reconciliation, but success looks remote as the Democrats have refused to participate and the yellow shirts, led by the People's Alliance for Democracy, are also likely to be no-shows.

The opposition movement contends that Pheu Thai MPs and the red shirts have suspiciously mapped out pardon provisions without consulting all parties or seeking a consensus.

The red shirts rushed to work with a clique of Pheu Thai MPs on the amnesty issue as if they wanted to force the ruling party, particularly its main patron Thaksin, to make a unilateral move in their favour with reckless disregard for their opponents.

Army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha was ready to dispatch his representative to the talks but the military has not received any formal invitation yet, Army spokesman Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd said.

Democrat MP Ongart Klampai-boon called on the government to stop using the amnesty issue as a smokescreen to rescue just one man, Thaksin Shinawatra.

"The Democrats are fully in support of reconciliation but will not condone the sidestepping of the rule of law," he said. The government, by relying on its 42 MPs to sponsor the amnesty bill and by propping up Charoen as the mediator, appeared to be trying to help Thaksin overcome his legal predicament, he said.

If the government refused to withdraw the four reconciliation bills, which were clearly designed to absolve Thaksin of his criminal guilt, then the amnesty push might just be a pretext to relaunch the debate aimed at benefiting the fugitive leader rather than those involved in the political turbulence. Should the Democrats step aside and allow the amnesty and reconciliation debate to proceed in the House, Pheu Thai MPs could later file a motion to extend the amnesty to cover Thaksin, he said.

The Democrats would not take part in Charoen's mediation efforts due to lingering doubts over the government's true motives, he added.

Suriyasai Katasila, coordinator of the Green Politics group, saw little substance coming out of the reconciliation talks set for today.

"Charoen just does not have the public's trust to play the role of mediator," he said.

Charoen's efforts to reach out to all sides in the conflict were futile as Pheu Thai MPs had already sponsored draft provisions for amnesty even before consulting with the other parties, he said.


-- The Nation 2013-03-11

[Locationthailand]

There is never any doubt as to the motivation of the PTP 'reconcilliation' discussions. They can dress it any way they like but Red is Red and their continued transparent manipulation and lies do not fool anyone. Of course the spin doctors keep waving the flag and sprout to the party faithful they are doing everything to solve Thai's political woes but they can't have a debate with only themselves present. Totally laughable but they are certainly trying to wear everyone down through this persistent ongoing BS.

[GentlemanJim]

The Democrats should reconsider their stance on amnesty and reconciliation because their unjustified antagonism would show them in a bad light for trying to stoke the political conflict for self-serving gains, he said.

LMAO ! Unbelievable. Thailand Hub of Hypocracy !

[virtualtraveller]

Peua Thai lost any credible sincerity long ago. Even if you remove Thaksin from the equation, the fact remains that the UDD did so much more damage and law breaking than the other groups, a simple quid-pro-quo amnesty isn't justice. And what about all the innocent bystanders who don't need an amnesty but do need justice as a reassurance history won't repeat itself. Were we consulted? There cannot be any amnesty without some remorse and admittance of guilt first. If you think you are innocent then let the courts absolve you.

[chainarong]

Pheu Thai is looking for an easy way out of a difficult situation, only trouble they have lost sight of the fact, they where responsible for the mess this country politically is in, Abhisit and Dems should keep hammering back, harden up fellas .

[drdoom6996]

The Reds/PTP don't need anybodies stinking approval for anything. The rest of this country should sit back and let the PTP do whatever they want. I'm going to watch as Rome burns.

[webfact]

Amnesty talks continue though core factions refuse to join
By English News



BANGKOK, March 11 – A parley to seek amnesty for political offenders proceeded at the Thai Parliament today despite a refusal by half of the invited groups to join the “reconciliation talks.”

Deputy House Speaker Charoen Chankomol told reporters afterward that participants agreed on harmonising different political factions for the peace and interest of the country.

They called on those failing to show up for today’s talk to join in a future dialogue, he said.

Those attending the discussion at Mr Charoen’s invitation represented five groups: the government’s Pheu Thai Party, the Matchima group, the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD, or Red Shirts), the Defence Ministry and the Ratchaprasong business operators group. Families of those who died in the 2010 political protests at Ratchaprasong sent their written statements to the deputy house speaker.

The participants said factions that failed to attend today’s meeting, particularly the opposition Democrat Party and the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD, the Yellow Shirt group which strongly opposed the government and the Red Shirt movement), should not miss the next forum.

“We believe that every group should forgive [the] others. A road to reach that point must be jointly designed without suspicions among us,” said Mr Charoen. “We agreed that political offenders should be freed. We stood firm that today’s talk is for the interest of the country.”

Regarding a proposal by Pheu Thai MP Vorachai Hema from Samut Prakan to move the Amnesty Bill to the top of the Lower House agenda, Mr Charoen said the decision must be made by the government whip.

Opposition Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva flatly ruled out Mr Vorachai’s proposal, saying there is no urgency to hurriedly debate the bill.

“We have to listen to various quarters who said the amnesty bill will escalate conflicts in the country and turn the kingdom back to the original conflict,” he said. “The Democrat Party has never objected to helping people whose rights are violated but we must not assist offenders of the Criminal Law.”

The proposed Amnesty Bill was also raised in today’s Senate meeting but no resolution was made. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2013-03-11

[waza]

In the spirit of reconcilliation they will bulldoze amnesty through

[rubl]

A parley to seek amnesty for political offenders proceeded at the Thai Parliament today despite a refusal by half of the invited groups to join the “reconciliation talks

Obviously there seems to be been a slight misunderstanding. We will work towards educating the other 50% on what 'reconciliation' is about and how beneficial it will be for them to join us. And if they are unable to grasp that concept we still have k. Prompong with "their unjustified antagonism would show them in a bad light for trying to stoke the political conflict for self-serving gains"