KPI research team to explain its study in detail
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The King Prajadhipok Institute (KPI) research team, assigned to conduct a study on reconciliation, will next Wednesday disclose the methodology it has used.
Pheu Thai MP Watana Muangsuk, who is deputy chairman of the House committee on national reconciliation, said yesterday that a public forum would be held as instructed by the panel’s chairman, MP Sonthi Boonyaratglin from Matubhum Party. The researchers will explain their study in detail at the forum.
General Sonthi, as Army chief, led a coup in September 2006 to overthrow Thaksin Shinawatra’s government.
Watana said yesterday that political party leaders and professionals from mass media would be invited to join the event, which will also include a question-and-answer session.
“This is aimed at preventing confusion among the public,” Watana said.
The Sonthi committee is considering a KPI report based on interviews with people involved in the political conflict, including politicians and activists from the red and yellow-shirt movements.
Watana yesterday disputed a remark from opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, who said the KPI study was incomplete.
“Although the cover of the report says it is a ‘study draft’, the content is complete,” he said. “In a few days, the King Prajadhipok Institute will send its complete report to the House committee.” However, General Ekkachai Sriwilas, director of the KPI’s Office of Peace and Governance, said yesterday that the report submitted to the House panel was not ready and some alterations and adjustments would be required, though these changes would not affect the main content.
Watana said his committee would be honourable in making a decision and not aim to benefit fugitive ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra.
The proposals in the KPI report include the one on providing general amnesty and expunging the legal impacts of all the court cases resulting from the 2006 coup. In 2008, Thaksin was sentenced in absentia by the Supreme Court to two years in jail for abuse of power.
“If we are honourable, we will have to confess if someone might benefit, or we may not be able to go further. The House committee cannot please everybody,” Watana said.
Abhisit, who is also Democrat Party leader, called on Watana yesterday to not take Thakin into consideration and once again called on the House committee to not vote on the matter.
“If committee members from Pheu Thai Party insist on voting, then committee members from the Democrat Party will oppose it,” Abhisit said, adding that the Democrats would also speak to Sonthi about the matter. “I believe Watana will not be able to intervene.”
Sonthi said yesterday that committee members would not vote on the proposals, saying that they would be submitted in full to Parliament for debate. According to Sonthi, his panel would submit a collection of comments from interviewees, the KPI report, a collection of viewpoints from committee members and proposals on how to tackle insurgency in the South.
