Democrats to explain amnesty bill issues to diplomats

The opposition Democrat Party will submit an open letter to foreign diplomats and international organisations in Thailand, highlighting opposition by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and Human Rights Watch to an amnesty bill being deliberated by Parliament, party spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut said yesterday.

A spokesperson for the OHCHR last week said the bill could grant amnesty to people involved in abuses during the military crackdown on anti-government protesters in 2010. The agency urged the Yingluck government not to allow serious human-rights offenders to go unpunished, while Human Rights Watch called on lawmakers to exclude perpetrators of abuses and instead make them accountable for their crimes.

Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva has instructed party-list MP Kasit Piromya, party deputy leader Korn Chatikavanij and party-list MP Kiat Sittheeamorn to meet foreign diplomats and international organisations to hand them the open letters carrying the message against the amnesty bill from the two agencies, Chavanond said.

He said the party would have the Truth for Reconciliation Commission of Thailand (TRCT)’s reports and the National Human Rights Commission’s reports translated into English and submitted to foreign diplomats and agencies to provide them with full and complete information on the 2010 political riots. 

The Yingluck government had failed to provide such full information, he said.

Meanwhile, Green Politics coordinator Suriyasai Katasila criticised the government’s reform council, pointing out five weaknesses surrounding the move.

He said Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who initiated the council, lacks leadership. Those who agreed to join the council favoured the regime of ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra and played a key role in establishing a failed political system. The government failed to show sincerity by withdrawing all amnesty and reconciliation bills from Parliament’s list sfor debate, as demanded by anti-government groups, which suspect the bills are aimed to help Thaksin and his cronies. 

Suriyasai said the government had failed to allow public participation in her administration and the move to reform politics would be doomed to fail as long as the “Thaksin regime” is in power, claiming that it interferes in the justice system and independent agencies.

Pheu Thai Party MP Anusorn Iamsa-ard attacked the Democrat Party over the move to submit open letters to foreign diplomats, saying the opposition was only playing politics for its own interest without heeding the plight of the people.

“They have never looked at political victims and are trying to block the move to grant amnesty to the people by submitting open letters to diplomats. 

“We are confused if the opposition sees foreign agencies as being more important than our people,’’ he said.