Thai amnesty bill: Govt adopts handsoff policy with vetting panel

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AMNESTY BILL
Govt adopts handsoff policy with vetting panel
Somroutai Sapsomboon
The Nation

The amnesty bill is a parliamentary issue, ruling party and prime minister insist

BANGKOK: -- THE STEPS being taken to set up a committee tasked with vetting the amnesty bill clearly show that the government has adopted a hands-off policy.

"The amnesty bill is a parliamentary issue and the government has nothing to do with it" - this is the message that is often repeated by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and others in the administration.

From the very start, the Cabinet had nothing to do with the bill that was proposed to the Parliament by a group of 40 Pheu Thai MPs led by Worachai Hema. Now, as the bill gets ready for scrutiny, the Cabinet has chosen not to have any of its members join the vetting panel.

This is even though at least two Cabinet members - Deputy Prime Minister Phongthep Thepkanjana and PM's Office Minister Varathep Ratanakorn - are legal experts and have been in charge of the government's moves towards "reconciliation".

Instead, the three people nominated under the government's quota include Nipon Hakimi, deputy secretary-general of the Council of State; Wisit WisitSora-at, director-general of the Legal Execution Department; and General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, leader of the Matubhum Party and the man behind the military coup that ousted Thaksin Shinawatra in 2006.

It is obvious that the first two were chosen because of their expertise in legal matters, but it is believed that Sonthi was chosen to make the government look as though it is ready to reconcile.

The Pheu Thai-dominated House of Representatives initially chose Sonthi to chair an ad hoc committee to study how national reconciliation can be achieved. His committee invited many agencies and parties to table their ideas and King Prajadhipok's Institute (KPI) was given the job of compiling and studying these ideas.

Unfortunately, Sonthi's panel ended up having conflicts with KPI and the Democrat Party - a problem that dealt the first wound to the government's reconciliation activities, which the opposition has always seen as the first step towards issuing an amnesty law.

Sonthi came up with another "surprise" when he proposed his version of a National Reconciliation Bill to Parliament. According to this bill, amnesty would be granted in all cases related to political conflicts as well as politicians who faced charges after the military coup. These cases include those involving fugitive former PM Thaksin.

Hence it is understandable that when Sonthi's name appeared in the nominations for the panel vetting the amnesty bill, some speculated that he might be made the chairman. However, sources from Pheu Thai say that Sonthi does not have the political experience needed to play games in the meeting room and he is not an expert in law. Therefore, the chairman's post will most probably go to former deputy House Speaker Samart Kaewmeechai, who is the ruling party's legal expert.

Of the 17 names proposed by Pheu Thai for the vetting committee under its quota, the only one that does not belong to the party is Narat Sawettanan, director-general of the Rights and Liberty Protection Department.

Narat, who works with the Justice Ministry, was a deputy director-general of the Department of Special Investigation and put in charge of the deaths that took place during the April-May 2010 political turmoil. He was later transferred to become the Justice Ministry's inspector-general for a while before being given the current post. Some see his current post as a reward for him.

Now Narat's most important mission is to look into the compensation for people affected by the political rallies.

On the opposition's side, the very fact that Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva has joined the panel means it is taking this issue seriously. Also, nominating Kaewsan Atibodhi, a former senator as well as former member of the Assets Examination Committee, as part of the Democrat Party's 10-member quota is undoubtedly a move to counter the people on the government's side.

Things are bound to get interesting when the vetting committee holds its first meeting on Thursday.


-- The Nation 2013-08-10

[Tatsujin]

Just a thought . . . if Thaksin was completely out of the picture (i.e. in jail for example) . . . would there be such a division in Thai society? I think not.

He is the one thing causing the divide and the one thing preventing reconciliation. They can dance around all the other issues as much as they want but it all comes down to this one person who's caused so many of this countries problems in his drive for power and control and greed . . . oh and let's not forget the most important ones . . . "arrogance", "contempt" and of course "face".

[NongKhaiKid]

Hands Off ? A tame vetting panel ? Oh I am slow on the uptake today

[Thai at Heart]

Just a thought . . . if Thaksin was completely out of the picture (i.e. in jail for example) . . . would there be such a division in Thai society? I think not.

He is the one thing causing the divide and the one thing preventing reconciliation. They can dance around all the other issues as much as they want but it all comes down to this one person who's caused so many of this countries problems in his drive for power and control and greed . . . oh and let's not forget the most important ones . . . "arrogance", "contempt" and of course "face".

If he was in jail in Thailand, the issues still wouldn't have been put to bed. Read the wikileaks stuff.

This guy is perceived to threaten a lot of very very important people in Thailand and their future. Remember, there is probably only one man in the whole country who understands the role of public service.

The rest are all in it for themselves.

Edited August 10, 2013 by Thai at Heart

[OzMick]

The Thai government has nothing to do with parliament? How does she think she became PM? Of course, she was appointed by her brother, who bought some politicians.

[Roadman]

The make up of the Vetting committee gives me more confidence that there is going to be no amnesty. The peoples court fugitive Dubai convicted criminals Pheu Thai dominance will still mean it will pass this stage but there will be a solid group voting against which will show, when it goes to the person with the one and only final vote that there was not clear agreement with the bill.

[Pimay1]

The Thai government has nothing to do with parliament? How does she think she became PM? Of course, she was appointed by her brother, who bought some politicians.

She knows full well it has everything to do with the government. It is all a farce.

[rametindallas]

'Gov.t adopts handsoff policy with vetting panel'

Is this the same kind of hands-off policy that Dr. Thaksin has taken with the current government?

"The amnesty bill is a parliamentary issue and the government has nothing to do with it"

I swear, this government takes everyone for fools.

[CUNJU]

and most r fools, afraid of their own shadows when it comes to the almighty MR.T