PREVENT renewed conflict before it's too late
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A new round of conflict is looming over the government's amnesty bill, being deliberated by the House of Representatives. Politicians in power have backed the proposed law, as well as similar bills, as part of the effort to attain national reconciliation
But the opposition and government critics have denounced the bill as a legal tool to whitewash many offenders of serious crimes such as murder, arson, rioting and “terrorism”, committed during the political unrest of 2010.
At least two international organisations have warned against any amnesty law that would allow rights violations to go unpunished. New York-based Human Rights Watch on Monday said, “The Thai government should affirm that prosecuting those responsible for rights abuses, regardless of rank or affiliation, is critical to promoting human rights, the rule of law and lasting reconciliation in Thailand.” Its Asia director, Brad Adams, said, “The ruling party’s amnesty bill lets both soldiers and militants responsible for deaths during the 2010 upheaval off the hook. To ensure justice for the victims of violence and to end Thailand’s longstanding culture of impunity, the amnesty bill should exclude perpetrators of abuses and instead make them accountable for their crimes.”
UN High Commission for Human Rights spokeswoman Cecile Pouilly on Tuesday urged the government to ensure that any amnesty measure “excludes those who are responsible for human rights violations and to take steps to prosecute perpetrators of such violations”.
Opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said the international community was closely watching Thailand to see how well the country has developed in terms of politics and the law. The Democrat Party leader described the amnesty bill and similar draft laws as causes for fresh conflict. And he called on the
government to have those bills withdrawn.
His party has campaigned heavily against an amnesty law. A large group of Democrat supporters joined party MPs in a march towards Parliament, but only the MPs were allowed to enter the compound, which was barricaded by police. The Democrats’ stand against an amnesty law is backed by an anti-government group calling itself the People’s Army to Overthrow the Thaksin Regime, which is holding a demonstration at Lumpini Park.
Former House speaker Uthai Pimchaichon, who was approached by the government to join a political reform council proposed by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, expressed concern that an amnesty law could renew conflict in the country and called on the bill to be withdrawn. A number of academics also back calls for withdrawal of the bill.
The House debate yesterday went ahead as planned, amid a tense atmosphere inside and outside Parliament.
With confrontation that could turn violent, those in power should carefully consider whether the country as a whole will benefit from the amnesty law, and whether it will really lead to reconciliation.
Reconciliation does not mean everyone agrees on every issue. In any society, democratic or not, such complete accord is impossible. And it is normal for people in a democracy to see things differently. The point is that no violence should be used to settle differences. And anyone who resorts to violence should be prosecuted.
What the authorities and government have to do to create harmony and unity is to ensure that the law is fairly enforced with no double standards. Violators must be punished in line with the severity of their offence. And it is the duty of the judges and courts, not lawmakers, to decide who is guilty or not.
