Pheu Thai changes its focus

Some 21 Pheu Thai MPs said yesterday that they would submit an amnesty bill to House Speaker Somsak Kiartsuranon this afternoon. According to this draft, amnesty should cover everybody involved in political rallies from September 19, 2006 to May 10, 2011, which marked the end of the extended red-shirt protest.
The content of the proposal was mainly in line with previous versions proposed by the red shirts, the January 29 Front, the government-appointed National Rule of Law Commission along with points discussed by red and yellow-shirt leaders during meetings with Deputy House Speaker Charoen Jankomol.
Also yesterday, Charoen – who hails from the Pheu Thai Party – vowed to invite more stakeholders to the discussion as proposed by the yellow shirts.
People’s Alliance for Democracy spokesman, Parnthep Puapongphan, handed a letter over to Charoen yesterday asking him to invite more people to join the discussion on amnesty law. The letter suggested that the anti-government Pitak Siam group; people affected by the political turmoil; Nicha Hiranburana, wife of late Colonel Romklao Thuwatham who was killed during the political rally; as well as representatives from the Truth for Reconciliation Commission of Thailand (TRCT) be invited to join.
The PAD spokesman also said that the draft gleaned from this meeting should not be amended before it is submitted to Parliament, and the Reconciliation Bill already submitted should be withdrawn.
Charoen, meanwhile, has issued an invitation to Pheu Thai Party, the red shirts, People’s Alliance for Democracy and Democrat Party to meet up and further discuss the amnesty law on Monday.
The invite has been accepted by the red shirts and Pheu Thai, but turned down by the Democrats because party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva believes this will not result in reconciliation, but will instead open the door for some groups to push the law through no matter what.
He said that as long as the Reconciliation Bill handed to Parliament last year is not withdrawn, rifts and chaos would continue.
Former Pitak Siam leader Boonlert Kaewprasit and ex-TRCT chairman Kanit na Nakorn also refused to join the talks yesterday, though Payao Payao Akkahad, mother of paramedic Kamolkade who died during the turmoil, said she backed the law fully.
While the proposed amnesty law is focusing on granting amnesty to those involved in political rallies and those who violated either the Internal Security Act or emergency decree, the Reconciliation Bill covers political movements dating back to before 2006 so politicians can also benefit.
Charoen said that last month he had discussed the issue with representatives of the four groups, though some groups denied their representatives were present.
At this meeting, he claims to have come up with the idea of two separate amnesty laws: one for protesters who violated the emergency decree and the other for protest leaders.
He said yesterday that he would make preparations to invite more stakeholders as proposed by Parnthep and would also invite military officers who worked in the protest-control operations. However, he admitted that he did not know if the meeting would yield any results.