Govt winds up debate on Nasa's request for use of U-tapao base

“I was not present at the closing – but under Article 176 of the Constitution, a general debate would end without a vote being cast,” he said.

Somsak said Tuesday’s House-Senate session was convened at the government’s initiative to gauge the views of lawmakers on the issue.

A debate ended if and when the government decided it had gathered all pertinent information, he said.

Even though the opposition Democrats might have suggested invoking Article 190 to revive the debate by treating the issue as an international agreement, in which case a vote would be needed, only the government had the mandate to decide whether to ask for such a debate, he said.

Somsak said he understood the involvement of Parliament in the issue was over at this juncture and the government would be in charge of deciding any next move.

The government could opt to grant permission for Nasa’s research, drop the issue, or revive the parliamentary debate under Article 190, he said. 

Critics objected to the abrupt ending of the debate, saying lingering doubts persisted, particularly the suspicion that the US might have exploited the climate research for a spy mission.

Defence Minister Sukampol Suwanathat said the armed forces had put forward no objection to the Nasa request.

Sukampol said the military leaders did not view the research as a security issue but a scientific one.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra had been very clear that the matter should not be politicised and he felt ashamed that domestic bickering had derailed the research from taking off, he said.

“I believe people fully understand the issue and only media professionals are still insisting on having doubts,” he said.

The minister said the media should report the facts instead of wild speculation, such as secret deals with the US.

On her recent visit to the US, the prime minister had been told it was easier for Nasa to plan a mission to the moon than come to Thailand, he said.

Army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha said he believed Nasa had not re-applied for the use of U-Tapao.

Prayuth urged critics to restrain from churning out unsubstantiated speculation, which might prove harmful to the country.

During Tuesday’s House-Senate joint session, Democrat MP Thaworn Senneam said the main Opposition party did not reject the Nasa request but wanted the government to fully disclose all pertinent documents.

Thaworn said the Democrats were rehashing questions in Parliament which were previously aired by security agencies.

For example, the government should clarify the impact of climate research on energy exploration work in the Gulf of Thailand and the involvement of an oil and gas conglomerate in the research, he said.

Democrat MP Sirichok Sopha said he believed the government had made a hasty decision to rule out the security aspect of the Nasa request.

Sirichok voiced concern that as the country took up a strategic position in geopolitics, it would be unwise to be seen as leaning toward the US at the expense of China.

Foreign Minister Surapong Towichukchaikul said he had sought and received assurance from his Chinese counterpart that China did not oppose the research.