Lese majeste a pretext to topple govt by April: Jatuporn
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Pheu Thai MP Jatuporn Promphan on Thursday repeated his claim about opponents setting up a war room to cite the lese majeste issue as a pretext to topple the government by April.
“I have heard that a war room has been set up to oust the government,” he said.
Jatuporn did not identify the opponents involving in the plot but said the lese majeste issue would be distorted in order to pin the blame on the government.
Commenting on a video clip revealing red-shirt chairwoman Thida Thawornseth’s remarks about the linkage with the Nitirat academic group, he said the red shirts had never denied their ties with Nitirat.
In the clip, Thida drew an analogy to portray the reds being the right hand and Nitirat being the left hand working in concerted efforts to achieve a two-pronged strategy.
Jatuporn said the reds and Nitirat were free to persue their separate ideas.
“I am not panic-strickened to abandon (Nitirat) but I, Pheu Thai and Nitirat have respective stands,” he said.
He said the Nitirat’s proposal to amend the lese majeste law was meant to protect the monarchy but fell prey to a frame-up.
Even though the campaign to amend Article 112 of the Criminal Code could solicit 10,000 signatures of support, there would be no MPs dare to vote for the amendment, he said.
He called for Thammasat University rector Somkid Lertpaithoon to justify his ban against Nitirat.
More than 30 years ago, the bloodshed at Thammasat led to the amendment of Article 112, he said, urging Somkid to outline the facts related to the bloodshed and the fear for a repeat in connection with Nitirat.
He said Article 112 was not a problem in itself but the enforcement of the law under the Abhisit Vejjajiva government was problematic.
In 2002, there was no lese majeste case, he said, pointing out that under the Abhisit’s leadership, the cases soar to more than 100 in 2009.
