Students urged to contribute to charter

The calm was “temporary”, he said, and Thailand continued to be “deeply fractured”. He predicted that conflict would return after an election if the problem was not tackled sufficiently through the new constitution.

Borwornsak made these remarks during a meeting with students from various universities, and urged young Thais to play a greater role in offering input for the charter. 

The Bangkok forum was organised by the National Reform Council in order to gather opinions from students about how to reform the country.

“Young men and women should be people with idealism and recognise the importance of justice,” he said. “I don’t understand where these people have gone. 

“If we want society to be just and peaceful you can’t just be idle and you must come out and take responsibility constructively – not by staging protests but by taking part in expressing opinion. 

“After this deliberative forum, please return and call meetings of university student councils and ask what kind of constitution you would like to have and return to us your opinion, such as how you would like to see rights and liberty, whether you would like to maintain or do away with capital punishment. The committee will give importance to every student’s opinion.”

Bowornsak said the generation which played a role in democratic change in 1970s was getting old but was still divided today and the young generation would have to participate in determining the future of Thai society.

Thienchay Kiranandana, chairman of the junta-appointed National Legislative Assembly (NLA), was also present at the forum and also tried to inspire the students to be more participatory.

“We have to push the country forward. Soon the term of the NLA will end,” he said.

“The question is whether it will end well or not and whether it will end wastefully or not … We’re waiting for students and people to propel Thailand forwards because I and everyone are Thai.” 

Thienchay said the younger generation must carry out this task.

The NLA chairman listed six goals that need to be achieved – free and fair elections, a democratic system suitable for Thais with His Majesty as head of the state, an effective corruption eradication system, and addressing social and economic inequity.

Supicha Luemsaisuk, a junior at Suranaree University of Technology, said an equitable educational system was needed. 

Chindanai Nakthiang, a third-year student from Dhurakij Pundit University, asked for better infrastructure in order to make travel truly accessible throughout the Kingdom.

Meanwhile, CDC spokesman Lertrat Rattanawanit said many constitution drafters supported a call for holding a referendum on the final charter draft in order to help legitimise the post-coup charter.

Lertrat noted that the post-coup provisional charter would have to be amended to allow a referendum but said the CDC would not make that recommendation officially. 

“Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who is also leader of the National Council for Peace and Order, will make a decision about this,” he said. “Borwornsak has already commented that there should be a referendum.”