WHILE Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is hoping to use his trip to the United Kingdom and France starting tomorrow to seal economic deals and garner international recognition of his regime, he might also have to endure a lecture from leaders about human rights and democracy, thanks to the efforts of campaigners and exiled Thai dissidents.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the leaders of two European countries to press the Thai junta chief for a rapid transition to democratic civilian rule.

General Prayut, who also heads the ruling National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), is scheduled to meet with UK Prime Minister Theresa May in London tomorrow and French President Emmanuel in Paris Macron next Monday.

“Prime Minister May and President Macron should strongly express their deep concerns about the deteriorating state of human rights under military rule in Thailand,” said Brad Adams, Asia director of HRW.

“They should make clear to General Prayut that there will be no return to business as usual until Thailand holds free and fair elections, establishes a democratic civilian government and improves respect for human rights.”

The UK and France are among major trade allies of Thailand to repeatedly state that bilateral relations will only be normalised when democracy is fully restored through free and fair elections.

“Prime Minister May and President Macron should recognise that the UK and France stand to benefit far more from a partnership with a country that respects human rights and rule of law, HRW said yesterday.

“Business deals should not come at the expense of serious discussions on human rights and the junta’s tightening grip on power,” Adams said. “The UK and French governments need to press the junta to end repression so that Thailand can move towards democratic civilian rule.”

In addition to government leaders and senior officials, Prayut is also scheduled to meet with businesspeople, including company executives.

It was reported that the junta leader might encounter anti-junta protesters living in the UK and France. Among them are those living in exile because of political repression at home.

The Facebook page “Kon Thai UK” has pinned a post calling on Thai nationals in Europe to join a demonstration against the Thai junta tomorrow and Thursday, when Prayut is in London. They planned to hold up placards in front of a hotel where the Thai PM is scheduled to give a speech on “Transforming Thailand”.

The activities are said to be led by Giles Ungpakorn, a Thai academic living in self-exile in the UK after being charged under the lese majeste law in Thailand years ago.

Spectre of Yingluck

Former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, whose government was toppled by Prayut in 2014, has been repeatedly sighted in London but it remains unclear whether the Thai junta chief will raise the issue of her residence in discussions with his British counterpart.

Prayut’s European trip became possible due to Brexit and the European Union’s softened stand for political engagement at all levels with the Thai military government.

Those travelling with Prayut include Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak, Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai, PM’s Office Minister Kobsak Pootrakul, Finance Minister Sonthirat Sonthijirawongse and Industry Minister Utama Sawanayon.

According to government spokesman Weerachon Sukondhapatipak, the group will arrive in London early tomorrow and will first meet with executives of major Thai companies operating in the UK. Prayut is to meet with UK Prime Minister Theresa May in the afternoon.

On Friday, Prayut is scheduled to meet with Guillaume Faury, chairman of Airbus Commercial Aircraft, at the company’s office in France’s Toulouse.

The PM is to meet with Thai businesspeople, state officials and the Thai expat community on Saturday. His meeting with executives of French large companies interested in investing in Thailand is scheduled for Monday.

Prayut is scheduled to meet with French leader Macron at the presidential palace in Paris next Monday. They are to witness the signing of a joint venture company principles agreement between Airbus and Thai Airways, as well as the purchase of a Theos II satellite between Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency and Airbus Defence & Space SAS.

The PM and his team are scheduled to arrive back in Thailand next Tuesday.

Meechai Ruchupan, chairman of the Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC), said the new Constitution, in effect since April last year, was based on suggestions from public members.

Critics have said no single political party is likely to win a majority in the House of Representatives in the next election, making a coalition government possible. Critics said the lack of a clear winner could also lead to certain parties colluding to select Prayut Chan-o-cha as the prime minister after the poll.

In response, Meechai yesterday said the claims were based on speculation. He said nobody could predict how voters would decide the next election.

“You can’t plot such a plan that is speculated,” Meechai said.

“Nobody can read the minds of voters. Time changes, so do the factors that make voters choose their MPs,” he added.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan commented on the call for a government of national unity made by Anek Laothamatas, a key figure in the Action Coalition for Thailand Party. Prawit said all the political parties would have to cooperate to make such an administration possible. But he was unsure if that would be possible. “I don’t know how it will happen,” he said.

In response to Anek’s proposal for an amnesty to solve the political conflict, Prawit said that should be a matter for the new government after the next election.

“It can be done. But it’s a matter for an elected government,” he said. However, Prawit added that he was unsure if an amnesty would actually lead to a reconciliation or end the conflict.

Meechai also suggested that the Election Commission issue a calendar with exact dates and timeframes to prepare for the next election.

The CDC chief was speaking at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Law, where he gave a speech about the new Constitution.

In his speech, held to mark the 45th anniversary of the faculty’s establishment, Meechai called on people who want to amend the Constitution to do so for the benefit of the public. He said the charter was written with that principle in mind.

The constitution drafters “are aware of the significance of the administration and of all state organs performing their duties in line with the laws and the Constitution. [The administration and organs] shall not act as they like, but they shall act for the benefit and happiness of the people as a whole,” he said.

The Super Poll, which interviewed 1,150 people of various backgrounds during June 5 to 15, found 54.9 per cent of the respondents said they had no idea what the national strategy was.

However, 64 per cent of those surveyed said that had heard of the term, while 90.2 per cent said the national strategy should be better explained to the general public so that they could become involved in also protecting the national interest.

The poll was released after the Cabinet presented the 20-year National Strategy plan to the NLA on Friday.

The creation of the plan was included in the 2017 Constitution as part of the junta’s attempt to redirect the country after a long period of political conflict that had held the country back economically, politically and socially.

Noppadol Kannika, director of Super Poll, said the lack of familiarity with the national strategy could be explained by the lack of proper public communication about the plan. Most discussion had been clouded by academic jargon that distanced the plan from people’s everyday lives.

The poll director also said that the strategy itself was centred on state power, rather than issues more salient to average Thais.

The public was not involved in creating the plan, which then did not reflect their priorities and was not properly communicated, resulting in both a poor national strategy and the lack of support from Thai citizens, Noppadol said.

The survey’s respondents also expressed concern over the nation’s economic situation. Nearly one-third (29 per cent) said that the future they wanted most from the country was to have a proper job with sufficient pay to cover their costs of living.

They did not want migrant workers to steal their jobs, the respondents said. They also placed higher importance on their concerns about jobs than public peace. In follow-up interviews, the pollsters found that working people saw political unrest as not involving the majority of people, while fear of unemployment did.

Respondents said that migrant workers were today getting more jobs than were Thais and so placed the highest importance on improving the employment opportunities.

The new co-managed funds were proposed at the summit of the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS ) attended by government leaders from Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.

However, an ACMECS Fund and an ACMECS Infrastructure Fund and Trust proposed by Thailand are still a long way from launching. The funds are named after the five-country grouping.

Senior financial officers will have to work out a wide array of details, from who will supply seed funding to who will administer the funds. A first meeting of the officials is tentatively expected after October, at which they will discuss terms of reference and detailed operations.

“It’s now a symbolic direction where we set forth to our friends where they need funding, and they will see the need,” said Nikorndej Balankura, deputy director-general of the Foreign Affairs Ministry’s International Economic Affairs Department.

“We want the five countries to go in one direction,” he added.

While they would seek financial institutions to manage the funds, the ACMEC countries would at the very least have co-ownership, Nikorndej said.

“The timing is right. The development of each [of the five] countries is now in a state where we can come up with funds. We will become partially self-funded,” he said.

Included in the Bangkok Declaration adopted at yesterday’s 8th ACMECS Summit in the Thai capital, the idea emerged from the steady – but slow – recent growth of the five countries.

While development projects in the three-river countries have relied mostly on third-party money, mainly from China but also Japan, South Korea and Australia as well as multilateral banks, the ACMECS countries have insufficient money to pursue the large number of projects being planned.

The Bangkok Declaration notably contains the need for a five-year ACMECS Master Plan. In effect beginning next year, it would spell out the three-river region’s requirements for the hardware and software infrastructure needed to achieve their goals of “seamless connectivity” and “synchronised ACMECS”.

Thailand’s prioritised projects to be implemented in the next two years include construction of six roads connecting an East-West Economic Corridor, four roads connecting a Southern Economic Corridor, seven railway routes, one port in Ranong, and two airport development projects in Mae Sot and Khon Kaen.

The infrastructure would cost up to US$5 trillion (Bt160 trillion), PM General Prayut Chan-o-cha said after yesterday’s summit.

“We agreed to raise funds or else all these plans will be in vain,” said the Thai premier, who also encouraged ACMECS countries, development partners and “interested countries in Asia and Europe and other stakeholders” to support establishment of the fund.

“We have to look at the funding. Thailand would start with some amount of money. The Asean secretary-general and partner countries will also play significant roles,” Prayut said.

But how much Thailand would invest in the fund is “not as important as building co-ownership of the fund”, Nikorndej said. While Friday’s ACMECS CEO Forum emphasised public-private partnerships, Nikorndej said that plans for the ACMECS funds do not yet include private investment.

“We will see later on about how we will engage with the private sector. However, Thailand is in discussions with the private sector and the Neighbouring Countries Economic Development Cooperation Agency to see where and when private roles should be included,” Nikorndej told reporters.

The Super Poll, which interviewed 1,150 people of various backgrounds during June 5 to 15, found 54.9 per cent of the respondents said they had no idea what the national strategy was.

However, 64 per cent of those surveyed said that had heard of the term, while 90.2 per cent said the national strategy should be better explained to the general public so that they could become involved in also protecting the national interest.

The poll was released after the Cabinet presented the 20-year National Strategy plan to the NLA on Friday.

The creation of the plan was included in the 2017 Constitution as part of the junta’s attempt to redirect the country after a long period of political conflict that had held the country back economically, politically and socially.

Noppadol Kannika, director of Super Poll, said the lack of familiarity with the national strategy could be explained by the lack of proper public communication about the plan. Most discussion had been clouded by academic jargon that distanced the plan from people’s everyday lives.

The poll director also said that the strategy itself was centred on state power, rather than issues more salient to average Thais.

The public was not involved in creating the plan, which then did not reflect their priorities and was not properly communicated, resulting in both a poor national strategy and the lack of support from Thai citizens, Noppadol said.

The survey’s respondents also expressed concern over the nation’s economic situation. Nearly one-third (29 per cent) said that the future they wanted most from the country was to have a proper job with sufficient pay to cover their costs of living.

They did not want migrant workers to steal their jobs, the respondents said. They also placed higher importance on their concerns about jobs than public peace. In follow-up interviews, the pollsters found that working people saw political unrest as not involving the majority of people, while fear of unemployment did.

Respondents said that migrant workers were today getting more jobs than were Thais and so placed the highest importance on improving the employment opportunities.

The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders yesterday found that the former Pheu Thai Party MP for Chiang Mai, Kasem Nimmolrat, and his wife Duangsuda, could not convincingly explain the source of their wealth.

The court ordered the seizure of two of their land plots in Chiang Mai, together valued at Bt11.86 million, and shares in Ascon Construction PLC belonging to Duangsuda valued at Bt9.27 million. Altogether, assets valued at Bt21.1 million will be seized.

Kasem is also a former deputy chief of the Chiang Mai provincial administrative organisation.

In July last year, the National Anti-Corruption Commission indicted Kasem for allegedly being unusually wealthy – considered a euphemism for corruption. He was later sued by the Office of the Attorney General.

The court found that the two land plots, which are located in Chiang Mai’s Mae Rim district, were purchased under Kasem’s name with two cashier’s cheques for Bt11 million. It was found that the cheques were issued by a commercial bank in Nonthaburi in December 2014.

The bank’s assistant manager told the court that a messenger bought the cheques using Bt11 million in cash. The messenger had earlier been assigned by certain people in the Wongsawat family to conduct financial transactions “regularly”.

The unnamed messenger was found to have worked in a company in which Yaowapa and her son are directors, but he had never worked for Kasem. So, the court was not convinced Kasem gave the Bt11 million to the messenger to buy cashier’s cheques.

Also, Kasem and his spouse each have multiple bank accounts in Chiang Mai. It was unclear why they would need to have someone purchase cashier’s cheques in Nonthaburi and carry them hundreds of kilometres to the northern city for the land purchase.

The court found that Kasem earned Bt817,556 in 2013 and Bt664,480 in 2014, while his wife had an income of Bt1.37 million in 2013 and Bt1.15 million in 2014. Their total revenues during those two years were insufficient to buy the land plots.

Also, no evidence was found that either Kasem or his wife had withdrawn money from their banks to purchase cashier’s cheques.

The court also found that Duangsuda’s 61.8 million shares in Ascon Construction, worth Bt9.27 million, were obtained unusually, as the shares were bought with an income earned from a sale of shares in Wyncoast Industrial Park PLC that the court earlier ruled had been obtained dishonestly.

Kasem was not present in the courtroom when the verdict was read. He was represented by his lawyer, who said he would ask his client if he wanted to appeal.

In March last year, the court sentenced Kasem to 12 months in jail for filing false information with the NACC regarding his assets and debts. The court also seized Bt168 million in assets belonging to him and his wife found to have been obtained dishonestly while Kasem was serving as Chiang Mai’s deputy PAO chief.

In April, Yaowapa’s husband, former prime minister Somchai Wongsawat, said that she decided to leave politics for good but would not say why.

However, observers suggest that Yaowapa and her siblings from the Shinawatra family – particularly ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra – have retained their influence in Pheu Thai even though they hold no executive posts in the party.

The NLA yesterday gave a 38-member committee 22 days to  the plan legislation and set a vote for July 6.

The national strategy has become a major target for criticism from experts, activists and politicians, alongside the Constitution and the national reform plans. Critics say that it would have power over an elected government in shaping public policies and directing the country over the next two decades.

Opponents have argued that the strategy has been written under a coup-installed regime with little public participation and thus violates the democratic principle.

Despite the national strategy being prescribed by the referendum-endorsed Constitution, opposition has been strong. On Thursday, the day originally set for deliberation, a group of pro-democracy activists protested at the Parliament, calling on the NLA to drop the plan. Later in the afternoon, prominent politicians – Pheu Thai Party’s Chaturon Chaisang, Future Forward leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, and Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva – also said in a symposium they would attempt to revise or nullify the junta-sponsored national strategy after the election.

Under law, the chamber has 30 days to decide on the plan after receiving it from the Cabinet. Unlike normal legislation that requires three readings during which the NLA could make changes, the Assembly cannot alter the strategy and can only either approve or drop it.

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam and Minister Attached to the PM’s Office Kobsak Pootrakul yesterday led the defence of the national strategy.

Wissanu stressed the importance of having a long-term plan as a stage of development. And after 20 years, the country would be ready to choose any course, as a foundation would by then be solidly laid.

It is the eighth summit of the group comprising Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam that was established in 2003 during the Thaksin Shinawatra administration.

The summit, chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, would see the adoption of major documents including the Bangkok Declaration and the 2019-2023 master plan.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Myanmar President U Win Myint arrived in the capital yesterday to attend the ACMECS CEO forum with the business community, focusing on regional development and business opportunities.

During yesterday’s opening ceremony, Prayut encouraged the private sector to cooperate with their public sector counterparts to drive investments in not only target industries but also in infrastructure.

“The Asian Development Bank estimates that the Southeast Asia region would require as much as US$15 billion [Bt486 billion), accounting for 6 per cent of GDP [gross domestic product],” Prayut said. “The amount is too huge for governments alone to foot the bill, hence we need to forge public-private partnership.”

To drive ACMECS funding, the Thai PM said there was a need to increase fiscal regulation flexibility via, for instance, promotion of the Eastern Economic Corridor to lubricate connectivity at the subregional and regional level like China’s One Belt One Road initiative.

A draft of the Bangkok Declaration seen by The Nation said the leaders would comment on Thailand’s initiative in proposing the creation of an ACMECS fund and an ACMECS infrastructure fund and trust as a financing mechanism for cooperation projects in the region.

The five-year master plan mentions the sectors of cooperation and projects that would require huge capital investment.

The leaders said in the declaration that they pledged to work together closely to set up the funds by 2019.

“In this connection, we further encourage the active engagement of ACMECS member countries, potential development partners, regional and international organisations, as well as international institutions in the setting up of these funds,” the declaration said.

Financial officials of the member countries are tasked with working out the terms of reference for the funds and Thailand would host meetings to discuss and brainstorm the matter within this year.

The proposed five-year master plan indicated that ACMECS cooperation would happen with three pillars: seamless ACMECS to promote connectivity in the region; synchronised ACMECS to promote harmonisation of trade, investment and industry policies; and smart and sustainable ACMECS to promote development of human resources.

Greater role for private sector

To emphasise their commitment to development, the leaders said in the statement that they would give importance to the role of the private sector notably under the public-private partnership format to implement the master plan.

The ACMECS nations mostly focus on economic and infrastructure development although some members face difficulties due to domestic conflicts and political setbacks. The leaders of the ACMECS member nations refrain from commenting on the internal affairs of another country.

Meanwhile, Prayut had bilateral meetings with Hun Sen, his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Laotian PM Thongloun Sisoulith on the sidelines of the ACMECS CEO Forum yesterday.

With the economy being the primary focus, most of the discussions revolved around border trade issues as well as migrant workers as Thailand is a hotspot for labour from neighbouring countries.

With Hun Sen, Prayut said that Thailand and Cambodia should support “seamless connectivity” via roads, rails and ships as well as connectivity on laws and regulations. The shipping project connecting Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam should also be promoted to support subregional trade and tourism, Prayut said.

With Vietnam, Thailand expects bilateral trade to reach $20 billion (Bt650 billion) by 2020 via the 3rd Joint Trade Committee meeting to be held in August.

Meanwhile, Laos and Thailand agreed to boost cooperation on energy and anti-drugs and narcotics. Thongloun also thanked Thailand’s support on domestic developments, especially infrastructure and land connectivity.

General Prayut Chan-O-Cha, who toppled an elected government four years ago, will stop in Britain and France next week for meetings with political and business leaders.

The trip comes after the European Union agreed to resume official contacts with Thailand in December, ending a more than three-year suspension put in place after Prayut’s May 2014 coup installed the country’s most authoritarian government in a generation.

European aviation giant Airbus is expected to announce the sale of the Theos-II satellite while Prayut pays a visit to French President Emmanuel Macron on June 25, according to a diplomatic source in Bangkok.

“The negotiation for the contract of the satellite Theos-II has succeeded,” the source told AFP.

“It is not a military satellite, it was developed to check on agriculture and coastal erosion,” the source added.

Airbus, which built Thailand’s first satellite Theos in 2008, could not be reached for comment.

Prayut will also meet with British Prime Minister Theresa May in London on June 20, before he heads to France for a trip that includes a stop at Airbus assembly lines in Toulouse on June 22.

France is the second largest exporter to Thailand behind Germany and Britain, with more than half of its exports in the “aircraft and spacecraft” sector.

Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said that two last organic laws required by the Constitution before a new election can be held – the laws on MP elections and the Senate structure – have yet to be enacted.

“The unlocking [of the political restrictions] will be done immediately after the two laws are passed,” Prawit said.

“Only these two laws prevent the ending of political restrictions,” he said. “The laws are not in effect yet so we can’t do anything.”

He added that what the government could do now was to relax the political restrictions and not completely lift them.

Prawit said the next general election would be held in February next year.

He was asked if the government was worried that lifting of political restrictions would lead to a return of street protests.

Prawit said: “We do not fear that. We follow the law. There should be no problem.”

The deputy PM said it was likely that a meeting between political parties and the National Council for Peace and Order would be held late this month, although no date has been set. Prawit said he has been assigned by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to attend the meeting on the junta’s behalf.