Anti-coup scholars deny trying to help Thaksin
A group of law lecturers from Thammasat University yesterday denied that their call for the expunging of decrees and judicial decisions that flowed from the 2006 coup was aimed at winning amnesty for former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
The Nitiraj (Law for People) group said in a statement they had called for the expunging of coup-related decrees and decisions on academic grounds to express their stand against undemocratic seizures of power.
The group comprises seven law lecturers including Worajet Phakirat, Janjira Iammayura and Thapanan Nipitthakul. They said it had decided to issue another statement because its original demand was misrepresented by certain media as a move to help Thaksin escape justice.
The group insisted it did not seek amnesty for anyone. It said it simply wanted the orders of the coup-makers to be annulled and those who have committed wrongdoing to be the subject of legal proceedings based in normal laws, rather than coup-makers' orders.
In yesterday's statement, the group said it had earlier called for the annulment of Articles 36 and 37 of the interim charter following the coup because the two articles granted amnesty to the coup-makers and provided legitimacy to the coup.
The group insisted that its demand could be achieved by enacting a law similar to one passed in post-war Germany declaring all court rulings made during the Nazi period to be void.
The group insisted that it was opposed to all coups, but had only called for the annulments of actions flowing from the 2006 coup because it still had effects on Thai society.
The Nitiraj group said its call was based on the legal concept of the "pouvoir constituant", which holds that the people have the legitimate right to undo the actions of coup-makers.
"The proposals of the Nitiraj are based on the principles of and respect for the right to due legal process, the principle of legal stability and protection of the faith in the rule of law, as well as the principle of the equal enforcement of laws," the statement said.
The group held a press conference at the Faculty of Law at 1 pm. The Pridi Kasemsup meeting room was jam-packed with red shirts.
Janjira said the four proposals of the group announced last week led to criticisms, so the group had to issue another statement to clarify its stand.
She said people without prejudice and without a stake in the coup should have understood the proposals of the group.
She said the proposals were aimed at clearing the political impasse to allow the society to peacefully exit the political crisis and avoid another coup. Her group would also invite those who disagreed with the proposals to a discussion to exchange opinions.
