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Committee against using Article 44 to grant amnesty
PIYAPORN WONGRUANG
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- THE RECONCILIATION committee has decided to remove the proposal for using Article 44 to grant amnesty to people involved in past political conflicts from its reconciliation report.

It said legal mechanisms and procedures proposed already should be enough.

However, it decided to attach the recommendation - along with others by the National Reform Council's members during their deliberation on the committee's report on July 21 - in the appendix to let those in power make the decision themselves.

The committee spent almost four hours yesterday reviewing all the recommendations by reformers as well as around 100 representatives of those affected by past political conflicts invited last week for two closed-door forums.

A source crafting the report said the content of the report remained mostly unchanged as many of the reformers' recommendations were received well by the committee's proposed mechanisms in the report.

Some points needed to be added to make them complete; for instance, the agenda concerning creation of a supportive environment for co-existence. The reformers had suggested the committee specify key measures, including continued dialogue as well as negotiations to help boost reconciliation.

The critical point of contention was the adoption of Article 44 by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who is also head of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), to give amnesty to people involved in political conflict.

A source said the committee decided to not add this recommendation to its third agenda, which is about the justice facilitation processes, including amnesty.

A source said the panel believed that the proposed legal mechanisms and procedures should be enough to ensure justice. However, it did not want to rule out all possibilities. So, it attached this recommendation along with some others in the appendix of the report and is letting those in power decide.

"Now we have heard from both sides in the forums saying although they had differences in political stances, they both do not wish to see each side resorting to violence to solve their disagreements.

"I count this as a sign for success in the amnesty steps we have proposed as it has implied that they acknowledge the right and the wrong, although they have not yet admitted clearly that what they have done was bad for others," said the source.

Buntoon Srethasirote, the committee member, insisted that amnesty was only one of the mechanisms for the building of reconciliation and urged the public not to focus merely on that alone.

He said to be able to bring back reconciliation, all proposals in the report must be implemented as a package, ranging from establishing facts to building a supportive environment for co-existence, which is long-term work.

"Amnesty may be something tangible that people wish to see, but it's not everything. To build reconciliation, there are steps and they should come as a package," said Buntoon.

The committee has not yet settled when exactly it will submit the report to the NRC.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Committee-against-using-Article-44-to-grant-amnest-30265534.html


-- The Nation 2015-07-30

[Seastallion]

If it has not been clear before, it is there for all to see now; The whole political debacle is not about Thailand, the reforms are not about moving Thailand forward, it is ALL about two political parties sorting out how they will continue, one or the other, to hold on to power.

[Seastallion]

I am disappointed in you General. I really thought you were installing something new, something that would bring Thailand out of the corruption and power-grabbing of an elite class who are not interested in Thailand's prosperity, just their own.

Edited July 29, 2015 by Seastallion

[thesetat2013]

Only in Thailand does reconciliation mean crimes are forgiven and you have a get out of jail card for free. The rest of the civilized world it would not be this way.

[mikemac]

If it has not been clear before, it is there for all to see now; The whole political debacle is not about Thailand, the reforms are not about moving Thailand forward, it is ALL about two political parties sorting out how they will continue, one or the other, to hold on to power.

I agree, and I would like to see both parties, and every single person associated with them, banned from politics forever. There are many other political parties in Thailand, let them run for power in "free and fair" elections.

Make use of the soldiers to police the voting stations to stop vote buying and anyone trying to impede the elections. Any party found guilty of vote buying should be banned permanently as well as any member of that party.

Then send the soldiers back to their barracks where they belong.

[quandow]

Has the magical Article 44 been used for ANYTHING successfully? Or is it just a paper tiger?

[Srikcir]

If it has not been clear before, it is there for all to see now; The whole political debacle is not about Thailand, the reforms are not about moving Thailand forward, it is ALL about two political parties sorting out how they will continue, one or the other, to hold on to power.

To all appearances - yes.

But Thailand's political landscape isn't just about the two major political parties, it's also about the power groups that operate outside the political process.

So long as these independent power groups can abrogate the Thai people's sovereignty represented by their rights and liberties, any system of governance and reform is basically meaningless.