Academics say Worachai bill's timely, lawful
A group of academics on Wednesday submitted a letter of encouragement to Pheu Thai MP Worachai Hema in support of the Amnesty Bill he has submitted.
Worapol Promigabutr, lecturer at Thammasat University’s faculty of Sociology and Anthropology who is a leader of the group, said the group disagreed with the opposition Law Reform Commission led by former attorney-general and chairman of the Truth for National Reconciliation Commission of Thailand, Kanit na Nakhon.
They criticised Kanit for saying the amnesty bill, in principle, would be against transitional justice.
"This [bill] is suitable both in [its timing] and that it can proceed according to the rule of law," Worapol said.
Kanit’s legal reform commission on Tuesday said it disagreed with the bill because it would stop and cancel all legal processes against suspects and people responsible for death, injuries and damage during the political turmoil in 2010.
Instead, the panel saw normal legal process, including proper investigation, as the first step to justice and reconciliation, Kanit’s group said. It would prevent more violence in the future and be part of rehabilitation for the victims before other measures were taken.
Worapol said his group also disagreed with the report of the National Human Rights Commission that opposed the amnesty bill, using similar reasoning to that of the opposition.
About 50 red-shirt protesters yesterday rallied at the Government Complex on Chaeng Wattana road demanding the resignation of the NHRC, accusing it of siding with the Abhisit government in its report over the crackdown on red-shirt protesters in April-May 2010.
They demanded that NHRC chairwoman Amara Pongsapich and other commissioners resign to take responsibility for releasing a report that supports opposition Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva and then Centre for the Resolution of Emergency Situations (CRES) director Suthep Thaugsuban over the political riots in April-May 2010.
They claimed the report would help Abhisit and Suthep escape charges pressed against them. They accused the NHRC of failing to protect the rights of protesters killed and injured during the political rallies.
The group has given the NHRC 15 days to follow its demand before making further moves to step up its pressure.
