Abhisit wants names of future 'VIP Prison' inmates
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The opposition leader yesterday called on authorities to disclose the names of defendants in cases relating to last year's unrest who are to be moved to a renovated detention centre in Bangkok's Lak Si district dubbed the "VIP Prison" by critics.
Abhisit Vejjajiva, who is leader of the Democrat Party, said that to prevent accusations of preferential treatment, the Corrections Department should make public the names of defendants to be moved and also explain the criteria by which they were chosen.
“There have been no clear details about the criteria. We will scrutinise this matter and find out if there is preferential treatment. The names of prisoners to be moved to the new prison must be disclosed publicly so that we can determine whether there has been preferential treatment,” Abhisit said.
The opposition leader also called on Kanit na Nakorn, chairman of the Truth for Reconciliation Commission of Thailand (TRCT), to give a clear definition for deciding which defendants are “political prisoners” and which are not. He said this was to avoid the perception that the TRCT was supporting the government and becoming involved in the political conflict itself.
Without a clear definition, TRCT’s messages “risk being interpreted for political benefit”, he said, adding that the panel must be careful about this.
Kanit said yesterday that it was the government’s duty to decide who should be moved to the new prison. He said he could not give a clear answer as to whether a man found guilty of firing rocket-propelled grenades into the Defence Ministry should be considered a political prisoner and therefore deserved to be moved to Lak Si prison.
In a related development, Sanan Kachornprasart, chief adviser to Chart Thai Pattana Party, said yesterday that he did not think talks between ruling Pheu Thai Party and Democrat Party alone would achieve reconciliation. He called on all sides “to forgive and to subdue their anger”.
