FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
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No-one obliged to sign ‘social contract’ MoU: defence spokesman

No-one obliged to sign ‘social contract’ MoU: defence spokesman

Politicians or any other participants in the new national reconciliation-building process are not obliged to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) committing to the so-called “social contract”, defence spokesman Maj-General Kongcheep Tantrawanich said on Monday.

So long as they abide by the law, it already means they are stepping forwards to reconciliation, he said, adding that they did not have to respond by signing an MoU, he added.
“If one day they realise that [signing the MoU] is good, they can do it then,” Kongcheep said. “If the politicians give their word before the people, we are confident that problems will not occur again. But if they do [resurface], they will be punished by the law.”
In this new round of the reconciliation process, it would not be about bringing up the past or who was right or wrong, Kongcheep stressed.
Everything would be done via the justice process, he added.
The majority of people respect the laws and regulations and only a few stray from that path, and so they need to be pulled back and reunite with the majority, the major-general said.
He emphasised that creating reconciliation was everyone’s responsibility.
Despite recent political incidents, the defence spokesman said he did not think bringing about national unity would be difficult, but it might need some time to realise.
Regarding the move by the red shirts to gather a million signatures opposing the National Anti-Corruption Commission, Kongcheep said it was not illegal to do so, as they could do anything so long as it was within the law and the Constitution.
The social contract on reconciliation, whose opinion-gathering and writing process started in February, is set to be completed soon.
The contract, which involves 10 major principles of coexistence, is expected to be publicised later this year.

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