Law against hate speech among NRC charter proposals
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Some National Reform Council subcommittees have submitted their proposals for the drafters of the new constitution to consider.
Pairote Promsarn, chairman of the NRC subcommittee monitoring proposals to the Constitutional Drafting Committee, said the proposals included a law against hate speech, with mass-media professionals who violate the law liable for Criminal Court action.
The panels that have submitted proposals are those on consumer rights, law and justice, mass media and technology, education and human resources, and the welfare system.
Pairote said his panel would categorise the proposals in four sections – the monarchy and the people; political leadership and institutions; the rule of law and court and government regulations; and reform and reconciliation.
He said there were three proposals relating to the monarchy, and the people section including the creation of capable and quality citizens who were honest and civic-minded in order to establish a pluralistic society peacefully while helping prevent and regulate corruption.
The second proposal centres on civil rights and the establishment of independent organisations that would be responsible for protecting consumer rights and creating equal opportunity for accessing education as well as to equal opportunity to teach or conduct research provided it does not violate a citizen’s duty, ethics or national unity.
For the mass media, it is proposed that media professionals should have the right to express their opinions, both in speech and writing, provided they are not influenced by the government or money. There should be the establishment of an industry body that would monitor and regulate the sector.
The proposals for political leadership and institutions include citizens being encouraged to participate in politics, especially on issues such as the environment, consumer rights, education and mass media.
The proposals under this section also include the decentralisation of power to help people become closely engaged with politics.
Under the third section involving rule of law and court and government regulations, it is proposed that the government integrate the operations of police, lawyers, prosecutors and the courts in an attempt to provide better service.
On government regulations, the emphasis is on ensuring that independent organisations are free from political and financial influence.
For the section on reform and reconciliation, it is proposed that a human resources, education and culture commission be established to conduct continuous reform of the education system over 10 years.
