'People with different views need to discuss solutions'
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It is not hard to predict that the Yingluck government's council on national reform will fail if it repeats mistakes of previous governments - and fails to act on advice to allow people with different views to discuss solutions to national division and p
Panel after panel has been appointed and hundreds of millions of baht in taxpayers’ money spent to find solutions to the ongoing problems. But the former Democrat administration and the current Pheu Thai government have failed to take up recommendations proposed by these panels, which were headed by widely respected figures such as former PM Anand Panyarachun, social critic Dr Prawase Wasi and law reform chief Kanit na Nakhon.
With a political crisis looming and Parliament is set to debate bills seen by critics as a bid to grant amnesty to questionable figures and pass legislation to gain absolute control of the upper and lower houses in parliament, the Yingluck government has opted to form another panel to seek solutions to the ongoing conflicts.
The panel has yet to be fully set up but has already been attacked by critics, who have played down its significance, saying it will merely serve as an advisory council for politicians.
Assoc Prof Trakul Meechai, a lecturer at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Political Science said: “I believe the government already has political solutions in its mind but we cannot read its mind right now. It invited people who have the same mindset to join the panel so we have to watch whether the government will resort to the tactic of putting words in their mouths.”
Critics say most people invited or agreeing to join the panel are those with a tendency to side with the ruling party while those seen as opponents have rejected the invitations.
Five appointed Senators invited to join the panel have knocked back invitations. Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda said on Friday he would need time to decide whether to take part in the political reform assembly if he is invited to join, as he did not know who would invite him.
Trakul urged the government to allow full public disclosure of the panel’s meetings and called on the civic and academic sectors to join forces – to appoint a parallel panel to discuss solutions to whatever woes the government or politicians cite.
Dr Somkiat Onwimon, former member of the National Legislative Assembly, believed setting up a panel on political reform was just a short-term solution to diffuse conflicts. To solve problems at the root level, politicians must be instilled with ethics and morality and the power of capitalists eliminated from the national political structure.
“Politicians, especially the opposition camp, act like uneducated ignorant people. We must make politicians realise they have a duty to serve the people. If they do not shake off self-interest, forget about discussion solutions,’’ he said.
Somkiat urged the government to hold a public hearing to get opinion from civic and academic sectors. “Hold a world stopping stage to discuss the country’s problems and make people stop quarrelling and listen to what this stage has to say.
“If the government does not allow people with different views to join the stage in order that the panel’s recommendations can be truly implemented, we will see the beginning of this committee as the end,” he said.
Panels established to find solution to conflicts
The reconciliation panel on political reform and charter amendments, chaired by Senator Direk Teungfung appointed in May 2009 during Abhisit government
The National Reform Committee chaired by Anand Panyarachun-appointed in June 2010 during Abhisit government
The National Reform Assembly chaired by Prawase Wasi appointed in 2010 during Abhisit government
The Truth for Reconciliation Commission of Thailand (TRCT) chaired by Kanit na Nakhon
King Prajadhipok’s Institute in March 2012 disseminated its research, sponsored by the Parliament
Recommendations by each panel
1. Power restructuring: administration, political and economic aspects
2. Adjust political culture to be in line with international economic, social and democratic system
3. Identify political roles of various sectors and promote public participation in democratic development
4. Amend law and regulations to promote democracy in the medium- and long-term.
The Anand and Prawase committees suggested that the country resorts to decentralisation of power since a centralised political structure is believed to be the cause of social and economic disparity which destroys democracy and people’s strength.
The committees recommended that the central government gives local government the ability to manage and make decisions about community development and other decisions that affect quality of life, natural resources and environment. It advised that centrally-controlled state agencies be dissolved and remain only in three sectors:
1. Offices involved in policy and academic work;
2. Offices involved in tax collection and travel documents;
3. Offices involved in checking local administration.
They also advised that local administrative organisations be upgraded into municipalities, depending on the number of people, and the power of local governments be balanced by setting up a social public committee.
All political or rival groups must end activities that lead to more conflict and the public must trust the democratic system even though the system has flaws. People must exercise tolerance and learn to solve problems through democratic and peaceful means. The government must run the country with transparency and promote checks and balances.
Politicians and stakeholders hold talks with local people to find solutions to conflicts on six topics:
1. Find and reveal truth
2. Pardon people who joined political rallies
3. Review cases ruled by the Assets Examination Committee to restore confidence in the justice system
4. Amend the laws and Constitution
5. Established principles under the Constitutional Monarchy that are accepted by all parties
6. Restructure administrative power to reduce social and economic disparity and instil a sense of unity for people with different views.
