Society should brace for reconciliation: Thai experts

[webfact]

Society should brace for reconciliation: experts
Piyaporn Wongruang
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- THE proposals formulated by the National Reform Council's reconciliation committee have been praised by leading law and peace figures but they question whether the recommendations can be effectively implemented.

Phairoj Pholphet, the commissioner of the Law Reform Commission of Thailand, said the proposals were similar to the ones made by the now-defunct Truth for Reconciliation Commission, which provided a comprehensive package of recommendations aimed at healing society.

Phairoj said a major obstacle towards reconciliation was the fact that different parties had claimed different "truths" regarding political conflicts and consequences.

Without the "same set of truths", he said, people could not agree on where to start to resolve the conflicts. Without that starting point, the conflicts had been left unresolved and reconciliation never stood a chance.

Therefore, he said it was a must that the same set of truths be put in place to pave the way for conflict management and resolution.

Phairoj said he could see the reconciliation committee's effort in identifying that need in its first and second recommendations, and if successfully implemented, it could help identify offenders and victims and facilitate appropriate responses.

Once people were correctly identified, justice could be delivered, rehabilitation could take place and compensation arranged.

Phairoj said the committee had systematically lined up steps towards amnesties and rehabilitation, and he agreed with the conditions set for the amnesties.

However, he stressed that justice must be assured, and as such serious offenders must be separately dealt with and brought to justice.

He also said society needed to learn the lessons from the past to prevent the violence repeating itself - a point that had been well addressed in the proposals.

"From what I see, the committee has tried its best to propose the recommendations in a package," he said. "I must say that they are comprehensive and good although people have overlooked them and focused only on the amnesties proposed."

Putting the recommendation into practice required political will, a new reconciliation body and a new law to ensure the body's continuity and commitment, he said.

Phairoj suggested the new body be set up via parliament to win over people's acceptance. Doing so would give reconciliation efforts, which would take time, a chance of succeeding.

Mahidol University peace expert Gothom Arya also praised the committee's efforts but questioned whether it had been too ambitious, citing one of the recommendations involving complicated fundamental changes including getting rid of inequality.

Gothom said what was probably needed first was a fact-finding mission and uncovering the truth.

He said several efforts had been made to do this in previous years but concerned parties either still viewed the facts differently or rejected them. That, he said, frustrated the reconciliation process from the start.

Gothom believes that the proposals that stand the best chance of being achieved are the ones relating to amnesty as some passages centred on uncovering the truth by concerned parties and amnesty and forgiveness were tossed. This will help encourage more engagement, he said.

However, Gothom wants to see the whole of society rehabilitated as everyone has been affected by the conflicts.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Society-should-brace-for-reconciliation-experts-30264327.html

-- The Nation 2015-07-13

[ezzra]

Why indeed not reconcile, forgive and forget? that's until the next coup where people will again, be

killed, burned and looted and maimed, and let the whole song and dance start all over again,,

reconcile, forgive and forget.... what a joke Thailand, but the joke is on all of you......

[Somtamnication]

It will never happen. Thais hate each other too much.

[Manbing]

Imagining the Thai population will come to some kind of consensus over events spanning 10 years is just plain nuts.

Justice on a case by case basis - Who's going to trust that?

Usually the rich get very different experience of justice to the poor (not just in Thailand).

As for eradicating inequality... Didn't that social experiment already fail abysmally in the 20th Century?

Why did the report omit the tried and trusted phrase?

'Everybody just has to love each other and get along'

Edited July 13, 2015 by Manbing

[lildragon]

There won't be any reconciliation while the BKK elite keep snatching away the rights of the majority of Thailand's poor. It's just s vicious cycle.

[FangFerang]

Reconciliation is not impossible. It is unwanted, by both sides, simply because, as the writer noted, both sets of aggressors want to pretend nothing happened, and both sides want power.

If I live another 20- years I will see more than one more coup.

[Prbkk]

Like on the plane? Brace! Brace! Brace!

[Lex Talionis]

"Therefore, he said it was a must that the same set of truths be put in place to pave the way for conflict management and resolution."

No shit Sherlock. The same could be said about any conflict anywhere in the world. Now how about giving us a clue on how that might be achieved. Those in power get to dictate what "the truth" is. And right now "the truth" is wearing a yellow shirt.

Edited July 13, 2015 by Lex Talionis

[mmh8]

I don't understand this reconciliation stuff. last time it came up there was a load of demonstrations. perhaps something is lost in translation.

there is no truth to be found, why would the public need to embrace for reconciliation, I expect it is code word for dmonstrating or some such

[candide]

Just a very complex way of telling: "they are not going to believe the bs we are trying to sell them".

[EnglishJohn]

There won't be any reconciliation while the BKK elite keep snatching away the rights of the majority of Thailand's poor. It's just s vicious cycle.

And here we have an excellent example of why there will never be reconciliation.

What rights have been snatched away ?. The right to take whatever wealth the country has and simply steal it through massive corruption and dribble a bit through to others who eagerly await a bit for themselves to get their vote ?.

If you people demanded fair and honest politicians who could stand in Parliament and make laws which benefit the poor while gradually eroding the powers of these mythical 'elite' you have been taught to hate, the country might swing around and things would develop slowly with hard work and reinvestment.

But you don't want that. You want to 'get rich quick' and don't care where the money comes from. Most of you support Thaksin because you think you will be rewarded when he comes back. Your politics are shallow, greedy and untainted by ethics. And most of all unsustainable. Like Maggie said : "The trouble with communism is that you soon run out of other peoples money to spend.".

Reconciliation demands both sides to act in good faith. Not a chance.

[h90]

There won't be any reconciliation while the BKK elite keep snatching away the rights of the majority of Thailand's poor. It's just s vicious cycle.

Right....the only fruitful way is the way of Pol Pot. Lets eliminate these educated elite.

[lildragon]

There won't be any reconciliation while the BKK elite keep snatching away the rights of the majority of Thailand's poor. It's just s vicious cycle.

And here we have an excellent example of why there will never be reconciliation.

What rights have been snatched away ?. The right to take whatever wealth the country has and simply steal it through massive corruption and dribble a bit through to others who eagerly await a bit for themselves to get their vote ?.

If you people demanded fair and honest politicians who could stand in Parliament and make laws which benefit the poor while gradually eroding the powers of these mythical 'elite' you have been taught to hate, the country might swing around and things would develop slowly with hard work and reinvestment.

But you don't want that. You want to 'get rich quick' and don't care where the money comes from. Most of you support Thaksin because you think you will be rewarded when he comes back. Your politics are shallow, greedy and untainted by ethics. And most of all unsustainable. Like Maggie said : "The trouble with communism is that you soon run out of other peoples money to spend.".

Reconciliation demands both sides to act in good faith. Not a chance.

Ahh John, you and your "if anyone disagrees with me you're a redshirt" shtick, my my it's getting old.

Like it or not, Shinawatra governments have won elections for the past 15 years and there has been two coups in that time (and 17 or so before that) are you noticing a pattern here? It should of been up to the THAI PEOPLE that voted for the shins to then vote them out again on the exposure of their corruption. Not the military and not the very real Bangkok elite that only a blinded fool would say don't exist.

Get over your Thaksin hate and look at the bigger picture. Thaksin being in power doesn't affect me in the slightest, day to day life for me is the same as it was during both forms of civilian government and this junta. Things are different for the Thais though, and it seems only a certain section (the minority) always force their will upon the rest, this will go nowhere in reconciling anything.

You can come back at me with "Thaksin this, red shirts that" all you want, fact is these coups fix nothing but to enrich the other side.

[lildragon]

There won't be any reconciliation while the BKK elite keep snatching away the rights of the majority of Thailand's poor. It's just s vicious cycle.

Right....the only fruitful way is the way of Pol Pot. Lets eliminate these educated elite.

No but severely limit their power to influence government and politics, and that is the same not just here in Thailand but damn near everywhere in the world. The thing is here in Thailand they are so blatant and open about abusing their power to suit their own ends.

Also 'educated' people don't look down on the poor and spit on them. Truly enlightened people can see the plight of everyone/

[ramrod711]

Ahh John, you and your "if anyone disagrees with me you're a redshirt" shtick, my my it's getting old.

Says the blatant Thaksin apologist. You have an agenda, and you have a mantra elite, elite, elite. Wake up, the Shins are elite, otherwise the government would make Yingluck appear when THEY want her to, not when she wants to, which seems to be on the twelfth of never.

[Srikcir]

There won't be any reconciliation while the BKK elite keep snatching away the rights of the majority of Thailand's poor. It's just s vicious cycle.

Right....the only fruitful way is the way of Pol Pot. Lets eliminate these educated elite.

I don't think Thai society would miss the 4,000+ flag officers as a starter.

If a Junta of five flag officers can allegedly govern a nation of 60 million Thais, it would seem all the remainder are a waste of the federal budget.

[lildragon]

Ahh John, you and your "if anyone disagrees with me you're a redshirt" shtick, my my it's getting old.

Says the blatant Thaksin apologist. You have an agenda, and you have a mantra elite, elite, elite. Wake up, the Shins are elite, otherwise the government would make Yingluck appear when THEY want her to, not when she wants to, which seems to be on the twelfth of never.

Yes I know he and his clan are the 'rogue' elites, but you know what? Just because they are the 'rogue' elite doesn't make the other elites the 'good' guys.

You think that they are all clean and white? They are just as dirty, corrupt and despicable as Thaksin, you're another one blinded by your own (or your wife's) hate to see the bigger picture.

But it's ok, just keep crying 'red shirt'.

[deckape]

Like on the plane? Brace! Brace! Brace!

That is just what I was thinking. Maybe a five point harness...a cold female voice over a loudspeaker "brace for reconciliation in 3, 2, 1....reconciled"

[ramrod711]

Ahh John, you and your "if anyone disagrees with me you're a redshirt" shtick, my my it's getting old.

Says the blatant Thaksin apologist. You have an agenda, and you have a mantra elite, elite, elite. Wake up, the Shins are elite, otherwise the government would make Yingluck appear when THEY want her to, not when she wants to, which seems to be on the twelfth of never.

Yes I know he and his clan are the 'rogue' elites, but you know what? Just because they are the 'rogue' elite doesn't make the other elites the 'good' guys.

You think that they are all clean and white? They are just as dirty, corrupt and despicable as Thaksin, you're another one blinded by your own (or your wife's) hate to see the bigger picture.

But it's ok, just keep crying 'red shirt'.

OK. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBDm-jA3N80

[Thai at Heart]

Reconciliation will last until the day after the next election.....

[Thai at Heart]

Ahh John, you and your "if anyone disagrees with me you're a redshirt" shtick, my my it's getting old.

Says the blatant Thaksin apologist. You have an agenda, and you have a mantra elite, elite, elite. Wake up, the Shins are elite, otherwise the government would make Yingluck appear when THEY want her to, not when she wants to, which seems to be on the twelfth of never.

The Shins aren't elite. He's a phone salesman from Chiangmai. Go open Tatler and see the real controlling families in Thailand....

[Fat Haggis]

Don't hold your breath Thai at heart, the junta kool aid drinkers only see what they want to see, they can't seem to read the parts where in their world they see all anti junta people are pro shins, it's a defect, many have it, it's called "I've been here so long that I'm still a nobody without a say in how the country is run, but my opinions are better than yours so there!! "

The Shins are thieving scum, but the Junta and their backers are not much better!!

[lildragon]

Ahh John, you and your "if anyone disagrees with me you're a redshirt" shtick, my my it's getting old.

Says the blatant Thaksin apologist. You have an agenda, and you have a mantra elite, elite, elite. Wake up, the Shins are elite, otherwise the government would make Yingluck appear when THEY want her to, not when she wants to, which seems to be on the twelfth of never.

Yes I know he and his clan are the 'rogue' elites, but you know what? Just because they are the 'rogue' elite doesn't make the other elites the 'good' guys.

You think that they are all clean and white? They are just as dirty, corrupt and despicable as Thaksin, you're another one blinded by your own (or your wife's) hate to see the bigger picture.

But it's ok, just keep crying 'red shirt'.

OK. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBDm-jA3N80

Ok

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siO2u9aRzns

Actually here have two

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQCHmcoNW8k

There are the 'heroes' in green. Nicer uniforms and better equipment than some rowdy hicks in red.

[ramrod711]

Ahh John, you and your "if anyone disagrees with me you're a redshirt" shtick, my my it's getting old.

Says the blatant Thaksin apologist. You have an agenda, and you have a mantra elite, elite, elite. Wake up, the Shins are elite, otherwise the government would make Yingluck appear when THEY want her to, not when she wants to, which seems to be on the twelfth of never.

Yes I know he and his clan are the 'rogue' elites, but you know what? Just because they are the 'rogue' elite doesn't make the other elites the 'good' guys.

You think that they are all clean and white? They are just as dirty, corrupt and despicable as Thaksin, you're another one blinded by your own (or your wife's) hate to see the bigger picture.

But it's ok, just keep crying 'red shirt'.

OK. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBDm-jA3N80

Ok

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siO2u9aRzns

Actually here have two

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQCHmcoNW8k

There are the 'heroes' in green. Nicer uniforms and better equipment than some rowdy hicks in red.

My absolute favorite part of the video is when Thaksin says he will join them "in person". Yeah right!

[wabothai]

I don't understand this reconciliation stuff. last time it came up there was a load of demonstrations. perhaps something is lost in translation. there is no truth to be found, why would the public need to embrace for reconciliation, I expect it is code word for dmonstrating or some such

yeah, reconciliation for whom?