Jatuporn gives thumbs up to reconciliation push by govt

Jatuporn, who is president of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), said that his group wanted the country to move forward instead of remaining mired in a “circle of conflicts”.
He said he was ready to sign an agreement with the other conflicting parties to end their rift, as had been suggested by the government figures responsible for the latest reconciliation effort.
“I don’t want this reconciliation proposal to be shelved again, as was the case for the previous ones,” he said, adding that all sides must be treated fairly in order to achieve the desired result.
“If reconciliation is not reached, problems will re-emerge when the next election is held,” he said.
He said he did no oppose the fact that the government’s reconciliation facilitating committee would consist mostly of former and current military figures.
Jatuporn was speaking on the sidelines of an event held at UDD headquarters at the Imperial Lat Phrao department store. At the event, key red-shirt leaders shared their views on the reconciliation effort with peace advocate Gothom Arya, a senior adviser from Mahidol University’s Institute for Human Rights and Peace Studies.
Jatuporn said the UDD would hold similar events in future, with guests likely to include Truth for Reconciliation Commission former chairman Kanit Nanakorn and National Reform Council former member Anek Laothamathas.
Jatuporn was released on bail recently after suffering health problems during his detention at Bangkok Remand Prison.
Gothom said mutual respect was needed before the conflicting sides started their talks on reconciliation. He asked them not to blame one another or resort to hate speech.
“All sides should be allowed to express their opinions without restrictions. There should be a national debate among people from all sides and a sharing of their views together. Their ideas may be put into practice in order to help restore friendly ties,” he said.
Seree Suwanpanont, chairman of the National Reform Steering Assembly’s political reform committee, called for cooperation from all sides in the latest bid to reach reconciliation.
He said all the sides involved in the conflicts should not start by setting their conditions or the new reconciliation effort would flop again.
“Making conditions will lead to an atmosphere of conflict and it will be difficult to succeed,” he said.
Former senator Singchai Thung-thong said people in power must |be sincere about achieving reconciliation.
“What we can do today is to create an atmosphere suitable for reconciliation. Public members should be allowed to air their views and sufficient freedom must be allowed for the mass |media. Also, there must be no double standards regarding the political cases,” he said.