Amnesty bill will entrench a culture of impunity, HRW says

“The ruling party’s amnesty bill lets both soldiers and militants responsible for deaths during the 2010 upheaval off the hook,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “To ensure justice for the victims of violence and to end Thailand’s longstanding culture of impunity, the amnesty bill should exclude perpetrators of abuses and instead make them accountable for their crimes.”

The Parliament is scheduled to begin the first reading of the amnesty bill proposed by Pheu Thai MP Worachai Hema tomorrow. This bill promises full amnesty for all protesters who have been charged, prosecuted and convicted for their actions from September 19, 2006 – when a military coup ousted then PM Thaksin Shinawatra – to May 10, 2011.

“Worachai’s amnesty bill is an insult to the victims and families of the 2010 violence,” Adams said. “It is unacceptable that those who committed serious abuses, including soldiers who pulled the triggers and commanders who gave the orders, would remain untouchable through an amnesty.” He also urged that the investigation into the “black shirt” militants continue. 

Pheu Thai Party secretary-general Phumtham Wechayachai said he would not drop the amnesty bill from the agenda – even though the opposition and anti-government groups have said they would not join Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s political-reform plan if it is not withdrawn.

“Political-reform and amnesty bills are different matters. Even though many have refused to join the political-reform debate, we will go ahead. The PM said that even with 1 per cent hope, we still must do it,” he said.

Government chief whip Amnuay Klangpha said the meeting of whips resolved that a House special committee to vet the Worachai amnesty bill would comprise 35 people – three from the Cabinet, 17 Pheu Thai MPs, 10 Democrat MPs and five coalition MPs. He said the party would take only one day to deliberate the bill on the first reading from 10am to 11pm tomorrow because the bill has only six Articles.

Opposition chief whip Jurin Laksanawisit said the Democrat Party would oppose the bill in every reading. The Democrats will meet today to discuss how they will oppose the bill.

 Democrat party-list MP Boonyod Sooktinthai said a national reconciliation bill was tabled in Parliament by Pheu Thai Yasothon MP Peerapan Palusuk. It carries the same content as that proposed by Labour Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung. He said the opposition would move to oppose the government whips’ decision to limit deliberation of Worachai’s amnesty bill to one day. It wanted 162 hours to discuss this important bill, a number corresponding to the 162 Democrat MPs.

He said the government whips should agree to the proposal because Yingluck had said that any political dispute should be discussed inside Parliament, not outside.