PM appoints official team to enforce new order

TO PRESERVE peace and order in the country, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has signed an order appointing officials to enforce Article 44 of the provisional charter. 

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said yesterday that he has not seen the order but was informed that it would be applied to the offenders of four laws – lese majeste or Article 112 of the Criminal Code, and Articles 113-118, which are for security breaches, possession of war weapons without a permit and violation of the junta’s orders.

The authorised officials to enforce these particular laws can only be appointed by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), he said. 

For instance, the NCPO order would specify the ranks of officials who can conduct arrests and searches or issue summons. 

People facing searches, arrests or summons by any official should ask to see the ID of that official to ascertain if he was appointed by the NCPO.

“If they are not authorised, I’ll be happy to find lawyers to sue whoever claimed to be the authorities,’’ he said.

Deputy Government Spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the public may not yet see what these subversives were doing, but that did not mean that there weren’t any.

They do exist because the NCPO had been trying to invite them to negotiate. They are those who lose out because of national reform, who want to change the country’s ruling system or who create a scene or political situation.

He rejected the proposal of the Pheu Thai Party to get all political groups to sign a memorandum of understanding to end the political conflicts.

If all parties respect the law and the government ensures fairness in solving problems, the country would be at peace.

“The problem is some people who might have something to lose have been trying to oppose us. What’s the use of signing an MoU? No country in the world does that,’’ he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan confirmed that the government is on track in returning democracy to the country.

Prayut has said the general election under the new charter could be held at the end of this year at the earliest or early next year.

Prawit was responding to speculation that the government may hang onto power longer than expected after a famous fortune-teller said he believes the Prayut administration can continue running the country for three more years without any opposition.

“Prayut has already said everything’s going as planned and nothing has changed,’’ he said.

He assuaged fears that the new charter would not be completed on schedule, saying there was still enough time.