POLICE WOULD support the idea of a military officer heading the newly-appointed police reform committee, Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan said yesterday.

Meanwhile, a deputy police spokesman praised the 36 panel members as high-calibre people with expertise to deal with the tasks within the nine-month time frame.

The Cabinet approved the establishment of a 36-member police reform committee on Tuesday, chaired by former Supreme Commander General Boonsrang Niampradit. As well as Boonsrang and five executives from related ministries and offices, the panel also comprises of 15 police officers and 15 non-police officials.

Boonsrang was Prawit’s former classmate at Military Preparatory School and Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha’s former instructor at the Chulachomklao Military Academy.

Prawit quoted Prayut as saying that the premier held Boonsrang, who is a graduate of the US Military Academy at West Point and a doctorate degree holder, in high regard and believed he could perform this duty well.

Prawit said it would be no problem for a military man to head the police reform panel and police would like it too, as tasks would be completed fast and well. He also said that the number of police on the panel wasn’t too many, provided 15 non-police members would balance them.

Deputy police spokesman Pol Maj-General Songpol Wattanachai said the committee would proceed with aspects of police reform, especially the annual police shuffle to avoid an alleged position-buying scandal. He emphasised such a scandal was being probed and it currently remained a “criticism” as there was no proof such a crime had ever taken place and nobody faces legal action.

He said that Boonsrang’s military status did not necessarily mean there was military intervention in police reform as there were many committee members to balance him. “All 36 members are high-calibre persons with expertise and virtue. We just have to see the reform result,” he said.

National police deputy chief Pol General Rungroj Saengkhram – who was among the panel members – had led a previous working team on police reform that had concluded. It had submitted to the government six aspects of the police force that should be reformed, including missions transfer, human resource development, pay and welfare adjustment, career growth path, reform of interrogation work and law enforcement, and the use of technology.

National Security Council chief and new panel member General Thaweep Netniyom quoted Boonsrang as saying his position as head of the committee did not mean he could order other panel members at will. “Whether it is led by a police or military man, the point is this committee of experts must work together and consider various aspects and solve problems within the police force and complete the work within the given time frame,” Thaweep said.

It will have 15 police officers, including national police chief Chakthip Chaijinda and fellow police generals Ek Angsananont, Panya Mamen and Aswin Kwanmuang, the governor of Bangkok.