PM defends use of Article 44 on Thaksin
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Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha justified his decision to enforce Article 44 of the interim charter to strip fugitive former premier Thaksin ShInawatra of his police rank by saying it was meant to reduce the burden on the monarch.
Prayut, who enforced Article 44 in his capacity as head of the National Council for Peace and Order, said Article 44 was legitimate as it is addressed in the interim charter.
On that basis, he asked, who would dare file a lawsuit against him for such a move?
Asked if he feared the move would prompt public
disorder, Prayut said that if there is disorder, those who cause it would be responsible.
Deputy Government Spokesman Maj-General Weerachon Sukondhapatipak said the prime minister
had carefully considered the matter before making his decision.
To protect the royal institution from people who had bad intentions and those who wanted to drag it into politics, the prime minister decided he had a responsibility to protect the institution’s reputation.
Meanwhile, Justice Minister General Paiboon Koomchaya said the enforcement of Article 44 to strip an officer of his rank is done on a case by case basis.
In Thaksin’ s case, he said, every legal step was followed before reaching the point where the officer is stripped of rank, which the prime minister chose to do in this way.
“The prime minister has always said that Article 44 is [only used for the purpose] of facilitating the administration of state affairs,” Paiboon said.
This would not spark protests, Paiboon said, because the government followed the law every step of the way. This process began even before the coup and the government just pursued it to its natural conclusion following the legal procedures.
“I’m not afraid as I did it right. If I’m wrong, I should be afraid of the people,” Paiboon said.
