Mixed responses to urge to step up rallies

The Board of Trade  (BoT) and the  the Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC) have urged demonstrators to halt their protests against the amnesty bill, which has been rejected by the Senate, and to negotiate with their political opponents as a peaceful way to work out the best solutions for the country. They said the private sector disagreed with such moves as they would only hamper the Kingdom’s economic growth.

TCC chairman Isara Vongkusolkit expressed concern about the impact of serious political turmoil on the country’s growth, saying it could cause a drop in the number of tourists and destroy investor confidence.

“The private sector disagrees with civil disobedience, as it is not the right action. Business will continue to pay tax as it is our responsibility and will not announce any days off for employees, as firms need to run as normal,” Isara said.

The University of Thai Chamber of Commerce earlier forecast that prolonged political conflict would cause Thailand’s economic growth projection to fall from 3.5 per cent to 3-3.2 per cent.

The BoT and the TCC called on all parties to negotiate for the benefit of the country. The organisations stressed three key efforts that needed to be made: steps to end corruption; avoiding confrontations that could lead to disaster and affect the country’s growth; and an attempt by every party to unite and restore peace to the country.
Yutthachai Soonthron-rattanavate, president of Domestic Travel, said he was worried about the situation. Stopping work meant doubts would be created, impacting economic activities. At this uncertain time, the country needed to drive the economy forward and keep it dynamic to improve the climate for investors and boost their confidence.
Thanavath Phonvichai, director of the UTCC’s Economic and Business Forecasting Centre, said if the political strife lasts into the first quarter of next year, Thailand would lose income from the tourism sector amounting to Bt30 billion to Bt50 billion. Economic growth next year would be only 4-4.8 per cent, down from a previous projection of between 5-5.1 per cent.
Economic growth this year could also drop to just 3-3.2 per cent if more problems occurred this year, Thanavath said. The UTCC forecasts the economy this year will grow by only 3.3 per cent if protests continue, down from 3.5 per cent in previous projections.
Deputy Finance Minister Benja Louicharoen said a thorough ministry inspection into tax collection would be conducted in response to senior Democrat Party member Suthep Thaugsuban’s call for tax non-payment. She shrugged off the call, saying that paying tax was a civil duty and a thorough inspection would easily detect and prevent tax evasion.
She said the political instability had not affected the Revenue Department’s ability to collect taxes, adding that collection in October, the first month in the 2014 fiscal year, was above the targeted amount.
Her fellow Deputy Finance Minister Tanusak Lekuthai said Suthep’s call was prompted largely by emotion and should not be taken seriously. Tanusak thought rally-goers, as educated, middle-class people, would not heed the call.
Transport Minister Chadchart Sittipunt said ministry officials or state-enterprise employees were free to express their opinions or take part in political rallies outside of working hours, but their duties and public service must continue.

Heeding to a call for mass strikes today to Friday made by an anti-amnesty rally, three powerful labour unions –  the State Enterprises Workers’ Relations Confederation (SERC), the Thai Labour Solidarity Committee, and the union of Thai Airways International (THAI) – said yesterday that it was for employers to decide whether their businesses would take part in the mass strikes, while employees were free to join the rallies after working hours.

THAI Union president Damrong Waikanee said a union conclusion was made yesterday to give freedom to THAI employees to join the mass strike, if they deemed their acts useful to the country’s interest. Most members have reportedly agreed with the strike against the controversial amnesty bill, although it has been dislodged but pending a reactivation after a 180-day period.

The other measures cited at a SERC meeting yesterday in response to future reactivation of the bill are that electricity would be cut off at government offices that have pending power bills, while city bus services would also be downsized. However, those giving free rides to serve low-income earners would continue as per normal.

SERC chief Khomsan Thongsiri admitted that not all 45 member unions convened yesterday. He added that SERC remained active in the anti-amnesty move because it did not trust the government that the bill would never be reactivated. Citing possible action against any future efforts to bring the bill back, he said.

Separately, Police have issued a summon ordering former Democrat MP Suthep Thaugsuban to acknowledge an offence against calling for a mass strike from today and Friday, after he made a call on Monday night, at the anti-amnesty rally led by Democrat Party, for a number of acts of civil disobedience.

A senior police commander, Pol Maj-General Adul Narongsak, said Suthep's call was in violation of Article 117 of the Criminal Code which carries a seven-year imprisonment and/or maximum fine of Bt14,000. People who co-operate or follow such calls would face a three-year imprisonment and/or maximum fine of Bt6,000.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet yesterday approved a Bt117-million budget to buy a system that can jam communication frequencies for use in crowd-control operations to deter future political rallies, while this system could also encrypted police radio messages to prevent eavesdropping by protestors, a Cabinet source said yesterday.

The approval was granted during a discussion of a group of brief, confidential agenda items at yesterday’s weekly meeting. No Cabinet members objected to the plan, or even discussed the matter, the source said. He added that the system’s operational radius was very wide and that it could jam or block all communications frequencies, ranging from Wi-Fi to other wireless bandwidths, as well as mobile-phone signals and two-way radio communications.