Amending Article 309 aimed at pardoning Thaksin: Democrats
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The opposition Democrat Party said yesterday that Pheu Thai's proposal to amend Article 309 of the Constitution was aimed at granting amnesty to fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra.
Wirat Kanlayasiri, a Democrat MP from Songkhla, said if the government really wanted to achieve reconciliation, they should follow the independent Truth for Reconciliation Commission’s suggestion stating that the Constitution Court’s verdict on Thaksin’s asset-concealment case was the root cause of the conflicts.
“Thaksin should have come back to face justice, but instead, the government is trying to blame the 2006 coup as the root cause. All they have done is try to help Thaksin,” he said.
Article 309 says: “Any act that, in its legality and constitutionality, has been recognised by the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand (Interim), B.E. 2549, including all acts related therewith committed whether before or after the date of promulgation of this Constitution shall be deemed constitutionally under this Constitution.”
Since the interim charter granted amnesty to coup makers, Article 309, which sanctions the interim charter, is also seen as a double guarantee that the coup makers against Thaksin remain absolved.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said yesterday that her Pheu Thai Party has never discussed the amendment of Article 309.
“We have not yet discussed it in detail,” Yingluck replied when asked to confirm reports that the Pheu Thai planned to amend Article 309, which sanctions the actions of the 2006 coup makers and investigations led by the Assets Examination Committee.
