Amnesty bill change slammed

The proposed law to give a blanket amnesty to law offenders involved in the political conflict has been opposed by both the government’s critics and its red-shirt supporters, albeit for different reasons.

Democrat MP Nipit Intarasombat said yesterday that MPs from the main opposition party would lead an anti-government rally once the government-sponsored amnesty bill is passed by Parliament.

Nipit said the draft approved by the Pheu Thai-dominated vetting committee on Friday would whitewash people convicted by court in many cases, including fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra in the Ratchadaphisek land deal and abuse of power case that led to Bt46 billion of his assets being seized. It would also absolve fugitive former interior minister Pracha Maleenont, convicted in the fire boats and trucks graft case.

Nipit is a legal expert. He has shown up many times at the anti-government rallies, including the one by the People’s Army to Overthrow Thaksin Regime at Lumpini Park.

The House ad hoc committee vetting the amnesty bill on Friday voted to rewrite a clause to include as beneficiaries people facing legal action in cases stemming from post-coup investigations.

The 35-member vetting panel, dominated by MPs from the ruling coalition, voted to support a proposal by the panel’s deputy chairman, Prayuth Siripanich, a Maha Sarakham MP and former deputy leader of the ruling Pheu Thai Party. He proposed that Article 3 of the bill should be rewritten so that the amnesty covers people accused of wrongdoing by a group or an organisation set up after the coup in September 2006.

Opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva told members of his Democrat Party yesterday to make the public aware of how vicious the government was in trying to pass the amnesty law. He was speaking at a seminar to enhance the potential of the party’s branches. 

Abhisit called the proposal historic in its scope to offer amnesty to people who had committed crimes, including killing, shooting, burning and cheating. “Next week, I intend to work on exposing the corruption issue, to tell [Thai] society how dangerous it is and what are the impacts. The government should not say again that it will eradicate corruption because today the government has managed to issue a law to whitewash people who are corrupt,” Abhisit said.

“The Democrats will definitely oppose this and we believe a lot of people are opposing this. We have announced our intention to work both inside and outside Parliament, but remain within the law,” he said.

As per the proposal, in the Bt46 billion assets seizure case, fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra would be absolved and Thaksin could petition the court to return of money plus interest. Thais would have to pay Bt50 billion in total back to the person who cheated them, he alleged.

In February 2010, the court seized Bt46 billion of Thaksin’s assets believed to have been earned from abuses of power.

The pro-government red-shirt leader, Thida Thavornseth, said the group disagreed with the draft and opposed giving amnesty to Abhisit, the prime minister in 2010, and his deputy Suthep Thaugsuban.

Pheu Thai MP Worachai Hema who proposed the original bill draft, said he would defend his version.

Pheu Thai MP Udomdej Rattanasatien, an adviser to the government whip, said the vetting committee must clarify to the public that all political conflicts were the consequences of the coup in 2006 and this law was aimed at restoring justice.

Nicha Hiranburana Thuvatham, the widow of General Romklao who was killed during the political riots in 2010, condemned the draft amnesty bill as an insult to those who had lost their lives in the political turmoil.

“If the government wants to give amnesty, it must ask the relatives of the victims first. The law passing process must be transparent and acceptable to all parties involved. Knowing the truth is the priority to getting over it. The most important thing is to know the truth first before we can see if we can allow amnesty,” she said as she went to the Students’ and People’s Network for Thailand Reform’s rally at the Urupong intersection yesterday.

Rally leader Uthai Yodmanee said while the group disagreed with the draft law it would not step up the rally yet. However, the group would continue its campaign and he expected more people to join the protest.

Suriyasai Katasila, said his network – the People’s Assembly Reforming Thailand 2013 – would meet today to discuss the network’s stance and movements towards the issue.