The proposed amendment forms part of the forestry reform plan steered by the natural resources and environment reform committee, appointed last year under the national reform law.

Under the proposals, people would also be allowed to cut down trees prone to harming life and/or property.

However, for those trees growing in the Kingdom’s forests, more stringent measures would be put in place to control illegal logging, the hearing was told.

Those found to have illegally logged precious trees, such as teak, rosewood and other prohibited wood, would face severe penalties of up to 20 years in jail or a maximum fine of Bt2 million.

Log processing would also be tightly controlled, the forum heard.

Last but not least, the vague definition of “forest” would be redefined.

Theerapat Prayurasiddhi, vice chair of the natural resources and environment reform committee, who heard and gathered views from the forum, said the amendment of the law would be completed by the end of next month.

It would then be forwarded to the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry with a view to its submission to the Cabinet for further legal proceedings, he said.

Samphan Lertnuwat, a former member of the Bhumjai Thai Party, along with some members of that party as well as others from the old Thai Rak Thai and New Aspiration parties, alongside other experienced politicians, held a press conference on Tuesday to announce their efforts to set up the Citizens’ Power Party.

Samphan said the party would register with the Election Commission by March 1, and would then seek members as well as develop policies as required by law.

Its founders aim to offer citizens an alternative party, one that emphasises people’s quality of life, as well as political stability, he said.

Samphan stressed that the new party was not a nominee of anyone, and that it could join either the government or the opposition, depending on how opportunity presented itself.

It does not rule out the possibility of an outsider prime minister either, as it would support anyone who would make a good PM, he added.

The party expects to win at least 20 seats at the next general election, Samphan said.

The order banning such activity has been effect for three years and Chaturon cannot even apply for life insurance, Chamnong Chaimongkol said.

The lawyer said the PM could help by forwarding the order to the Cabinet for it to waive the ban if he deemed it to be an administrative order, or to the National Legislative Assembly to proceed with a wavier if he considered it to be law.

The order, Chamnong argued, contradicted the rule of law and violated human rights.

The TJA released its fact-finding results in the case on Monday, without naming anyone involved or pinpointing whether the alleged act had actually taken place.

The association said its press release was based on the findings of its independent fact-finding panel, which was appointed last September to investigate the matter.

A director of the unnamed media organisation was accused in the middle of last year of having sexually harassed a colleague in the workplace.

The news was then circulated on social media, during which the male executive was strongly criticised, leading to the investigation by the TJA.

The TJA’s panel talked in secret with 11 persons, including the alleged harassment victim and the accused.

It learned that they were close and had trust in one another, to the point that the relationship may have led to a “misunderstanding” and a “sexual harassment-prone situation”.

This was partly due to a person having been raised in a way that respected older persons and seniority, the TJA noted in its press release.

The two later talked and apologised to one another, the association said.

The victim of the alleged harassment then quit her job, before the news broke with a third party disseminating “distorted facts” on social media and affecting their reputations.

The findings will be forwarded to other media organisations for discussion and to find better ways to deal with sexual-harassment cases, as well as developing and putting in place new codes of conduct in regard to workplace relationships in media outlets, according to the TJA.

Human Rights Commissioner Angkhana Neelapaijit posted on her Facebook page, expressing her disappointment at the association’s conclusions and saying that the results released contained words that insulted and disrespected women.

It had apparently downplayed severe issues, turning them into minor ones, she said.

Worse still, the recommendations proposed for addressing the problem meant people were to have confidence in self-regulating measures, Angkhana added.

This is probably because they think it is an internal affair, he said, insisting that no one was worried about it.

Only the US ambassador has been in touch with the National Legislative Assembly president, Pornpetch Wichitcholchai, asking about the passage of the MP election bill and the election delay, he said, adding that this was however the normal duty of any ambassador.

AMID CONCERNS that intimidation of academics is growing, Prime Minister and junta chief General Prayut Chan-o-cha claimed yesterday that his government was not behind the self-censorship by a university that refused to publish an opinion poll.

Meanwhile, major polling institutes Suan Dusit and Bangkok Poll admitted yesterday that the ongoing political troubles had affected how they had conducted their surveys in the years since the 2014 coup.

The admissions followed a decision by National Institute of Development Administration (Nida) poll director Arnond Sakworawich to step down in protest after the suppression of a survey concerning Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan’s possession of luxurious watches.

The poll results were suspended by the Nida director, Pradit Wanarat, on the grounds that they could have influenced public opinion over the issue as the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) had not completed its inquiry into the matter.

Meanwhile, the prominent historian and former rector of Thammasat University, Charnvit Kasetsiri, and Thammasat’s dean of the Faculty of Sociology and Anthropology Anusorn Unno have been summoned to appear before police tomorrow to acknowledge charges against them.

Anusorn reportedly faces charges related to the “We Walk” protest campaign and Charnvit for allegedly circulating false reports on Facebook. They could face tough penalties including jail terms if found guilty on their respective charges.

Academic and rights advocate Chamnan Chanruang said there had been a decline in academic freedom in Thailand and emphasised that “courage” was intrinsic to the prosperity of academia.

Questions have been raised as to whether the coup-installed regime was behind the move at Nida, given that Pradit was also a member of the junta-appointed National Legislative Assembly.

Prayut denied any role in the decision.

“How does [Anond’s resignation] have anything to do with me? I just saw the news on social media, too. And he said he hadn’t been forced or anything. People can say whatever they want and the media can just amplify that so the country won’t be in peace,” he told reporters yesterday.

Pradit, meanwhile, insisted he had not infringed on academic freedom or ordered any change to the poll results, but he added that he would always ask to see poll results before publishing them.

Regarding the Prawit watch scandal poll, Pradit said the results had been withheld because they would be “suggestive” while the case had not been finalised.

Suan Dusit poll head Nattapon Yamchim admitted that because of the long period of political conflict, his office had to be extra careful when conducting political surveys. If not, the polls could generate negative effects or bring about more conflict, he added. The organisation tried to be straightforward in its work, he said, adding that the surveys were always neutral and not meant to lead public opinion.

Regarding the Nida incident, Nattapon said he believed it was an issue of scrutiny within the organisation and Pradit could have believed the results would be exploited, leading to the ban.

The head of Bangkok Poll, Isaree Praditteera, said she did not believe the military government had interfered in Nida’s poll. Bangkok Poll had reflected a continuous decline in the popularity of the junta, yet it had not been harassed once, she said. The suspension of survey results could have been due to Nida’s policy, she added.

Meanwhile, scholar and rights advocate Chamnan said the Nida rector’s explanation that the results could have had some influence on the watch case currently handled by the NACC was unjustifiable.

Pradit may have absolute power to withhold the survey results, but it should be exercised only on the grounds that there were unreliable due to factors such as bad methodology, he said.

Chamnan added that contempt of court was not an issue, as the case was not before a court.

Prayut said he would still keep his promise and that everything would continue to follow the administration’s road map. “I promise the same, and nothing has changed,” the prime minister said after delivering a speech at the 60th-anniversary celebration of the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School.

However, the premier declined to say whether the National Legislative Assembly’s decision to defer implementation of the MP election bill would be the final delay before the general election, stating that it was not he who had caused the latest postponement.

There was “no before or after the election”, as he has done nothing to change things, he said, while calling on the media not to let people convince themselves that “a situation” had been created.

The premier also said he could not confirm a final determination of the election date, as he was not able to force proceedings through the legal process. The legal process, he added, had not yet ended as a joint law-review committee would be set up if differences is raised by those considering the legality of the bill.

The junta’s mission would be completed in line with the timetable under the road map, he said.

The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) president, Pornpetch Wichaicholchai, meanwhile, defended the postponement of the bill’s enforcement, saying it provided time for political parties to prepare themselves for the new primary voting system.

The charter stipulates that the election must be held within 150 days after the enforcement of the related laws. The delay in the start of enforcement of the MP election bill was intended to give parties enough time to complete what was required before moving ahead to the election, Pornpetch said.

Chanoknan Ruamsap, a spokeswoman of the now-defunct anti-coup group New Democracy Movement, said in her latest Facebook message on Sunday that she had chosen to flee Thailand rather than be prosecuted.

In her message, 25-year-old Chanoknan said she had received a summons on January 16. In a copy of the document dated January 3 and posted in her Facebook message, the activist is instructed to meet with a case investigator at Bangkok’s Kanna Yao police station on January 18.

The case results from a police complaint filed by Lieutenant Sombat Dangtha, who accused Chanoknan of insulting the monarchy. It is a charge under Article 112 of the Penal Code covering lese majeste.

In December 2016, Chanoknan shared on social media a BBC Thai report about His Majesty the King. It was the same report that was also shared by fellow activist Jatupat “Pai Dao Din” Boonpattararaksa, who is serving a two-and-a-half-years’ imprisonment for lese majeste.

Chanoknan has fled to an Asian country, according to sources who declined to identify her destination. It was unclear how she left the country.

In her Facebook message, the activist said it was a “very difficult decision to make” in leaving her parents and close friends to live in a foreign land as a “refugee”.

“I had less than 30 minutes to decide whether to stay or leave. What’s difficult was that leaving this time, I may not be able to return home again,” she wrote.