The woman, who identified herself as Samai, said in a video clip posted on Wan’s Facebook wall that she was happy during the visit to the mall.

Her clip was posted a day after a Facebook user posted her photo sitting on the ground beside Wan’s family dining table and wrote: “OMG! Thailand! They took a housemaid for a visit to carry shopping bags and care for their children. When they got tired, they had food and let the maid sit like this. It’s not OK, is it? Why didn’t they let her join the table?”

The post drew a lot of criticisms against Wan, prompting him to file a defamation lawsuit against the Facebook user.

In her clip, Samai said: “Hi, I am Samai. Yesterday, I went out with the boss. The boss let met eat until I became full. I stood to wait for my boss until I felt tired in my legs, so I sat down.

“Don’t worry. I was full and happy. I sat on the floor because I always sit like this. I don’t like to sit on a chair.”

THE BAN on political activities will stay until the organic law on the election of MPs comes into effect, according to the latest junta order.

The latest use of Article 44, which allows political parties to engage in administrative work, has raised concerns of a delay in the road map to the election scheduled for November 2018, according to observers.

Junta chief and Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday used Article 44 to allow political parties to implement the administrative work required under the political party law, while keeping the ban on political activities in effect.

The order, as published in the Royal Gazette yesterday, stated that after the organic law concerning the election of MPs comes into effect, the Cabinet shall tell the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) to consider revoking any orders or laws that obstruct political activities.

The charter writers have submitted a draft bill for MP elections to the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) and it is expected to be passed in June next year, Government Spokesman Lt-General Sansern Kaewkamnerd had said on Tuesday.

The order also schedules the new deadline for political parties to complete their administrative work, which brings into question whether the election scheduled in November next year was still possible. The political parties Act, which was promulgated in early October, will come into effect only on April 1, 2018, according to the junta order yesterday.

The Article 44 order allows executive party members to continue in their positions but allows existing party members to choose whether to remain with the same parties.

If current party members want to keep their party membership, they must submit letters to confirm that choice to the party leader and pay a membership fee between April 1 to 30 next year or they will lose their status. Observers said the short period of time raises practical difficulties.

Moreover, the party law previously exempted the members of existing parties from paying a membership fee for four years. But the Article 44 order has nullified that and ordered that both old and new parties collect a membership fee for 2018 from at least 500 qualified members within 180 days or from April 1 to the end of September.

That timeframe makes it highly unlikely that elections will be able to take place in November, as announced earlier by Prayut.

The order did not state a reason why April 1 has been chosen as the starting date of the deadline. Politicians had earlier called for the junta to lift the ban that prevented them from conducting party activities requiring a gathering of five or more people.

The political party law requires that party membership lists be updated within 90 days after promulgation of the law. That deadline would be up on January 5, 2018.

With the ban on political activities still in force, parties will not be able to legally convene meetings to proceed with other activities needed under the law, politicians have said.

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said that after April 1, the ban would be eased for old parties to proceed with some activities, including fundraising, but not hold party meetings, he said.

But if they needed to hold a meeting, they could ask the NCPO to allow them to do so before the ban is totally lifted.

Wissanu said the approach is intended to ensure that new parties could catch up with old parties. New parties need to start from nothing, he said, including recruiting members and registering their parties for the first time. The process would take up to 30 days, during which the Election Commission would consider their application.

However, the deputy PM said the extension would not affect the road map to the 2018 election, unless new factors emerge in the meantime.

The NLA, meanwhile, has not yet taken up a proposal by former reformer Paiboon Nititawan to reset party membership for the sake of fairness, saying it needs to see the effects of the Article 44 order on amending the political party law.

Paiboon had also proposed suspending the primary voting system required under the law. But he later said it was just his wish “to build a fair ground for all parties”, which would not actually happen.

Paiboon was invited to meet the body’s law vetting committee as well as some Election Commission members.

NLA law vetting committee member Somchai Sawangkarn reiterated that the Act already endorses the status of political parties and hence re-registration was not possible.

So, Paiboon returned to his first proposal, suggesting that the Act be amended so as to require all party members to pay membership fees as the law now only requires newly enrolled members to do so.

He also suggested that the Act’s stipulation of the so-called primary voting system should be exempted this time, as parties still restricted by the junta’s political ban will have a tight schedule ahead of the upcoming election in November.

EC deputy secretary-general Sawang Boonma also admitted that parties would have only 12 to 15 days to finish organising their primary vote before the election date could be announced. Sawang was also asked by the NLA to “maximise” the said period to facilitate the process.

Under the current law, all parties will have to use the new system to select MP candidates. Aiming to make party members “more independent” of financiers, it will require parties to have members and candidates in all contesting constituencies.

While agreeing that the NCPO should continue to “keep the country in order” until the EC endorses the election result, Paiboon also suggested that the NCPO no longer prohibit parties from holding meetings to prepare for the election.

He also defended the suggestion to amend the law, denying that it was aimed at delaying the election as speculated.

“The solutions can be that the NLA amend the Act in no time or the special Article 44 power may be invoked. I’m fine with either way as long as it can drive parties ahead,” said the president of the new People’s Reform Network party, with a clear agenda to support PM Prayut to remain the prime minister after the election.

They are due to meet again next month for further discussions, mainly to explore the use of Article 44 to amend the Act.

The conclusion was reached yesterday, the second day of debate after legislators failed to reach a decision on Thursday and were forced to adjourn the meeting.

National Legislative Assembly (NLA) vice president Surachai Liengboonlertchai allowed each faction to continue making their points yesterday.

The president of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), Pol General Watcharapol Prasarnrajkit, persisted in making his point that wiretapping would improve the agency’s efficacy but the minority of the vetting committee and NLA members maintained that work could continue without such dangerous tools.

Chairman of the vetting committee Pol General Chatchawan Suksomjit insisted that the power was necessary for the NACC. However, he finally gave in as the chamber was taking too much time debating the matter.

Chatchawan acknowledged that wiretapping phone calls was an intrusion of privacy and could be a political tool to get back at the people of the current regime once the political situation changes. The timing was not right and it was better to remove the stipulation from the bill for now, he said.

The NLA took the entire day yesterday with other controversial points, such as the tenure of the current commission as well as the declaration of assets and the liability of political office holders and government officials.

At 6pm, legislators completed debating the legislation but postponed the vote on the draft bill to next Monday.

Another hot issue in the debate concerned the term of NACC members.

The Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC), which is also responsible for drafting the organic bills, had insisted that any commissioners who fail to meet the new qualifications set by the new Constitution should be dismissed from office.

The vetting committee, however, had revised the bill and allowed the current nine NACC commissioners to stay on and serve the term of nine years, as laid out in the bill, regardless of their qualifications.

Vetting committee members Jade Donavanik and Pattara Khumpitak argued that the stipulation could be unconstitutional.

Jade stressed that the new Constitution had laid out new qualifications for commissioners of independent agencies, adding that it was for the sake of reform. Commissioners who stay on must have matching qualifications or it would not be constitutional.

Pattara warned legislators that if they endorsed such a stipulation, it would be recorded that the Assembly accepted an organic law that was against the Constitution.

Both charter writers also questioned whether the vetting committee was selective in their compliance with the Constitution.

Vetting committee member Pattarasak Wannasaeng argued that the stipulation was constitutional. He said the organic bills dictate the fate of the commissioners and that the Constitutional Court had ruled before that the NLA had the authority to decide whether they could continue their term.

Pattarasak said that the clause that allowed the NACC commissioners to stay on was in the transition section. There was no way it could follow the charter 100 per cent, he said

Prawit refused to answer reporters’ questions about what had happened. The bandage was, however, spotted by Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, who asked Prawit about it, to which the deputy PM said he had trigger finger.

When reporters again asked Prawit about it, Interior Minister Gen Anupong Paochinda replied that Prawit had punched him. The answer made Prawit laugh and lifted his mood.

Prawit has remained silent since he was spotted with a luxury watch and a diamond ring on his right hand on December 6.

He had never declared the jewellery in his assets list to the National Anti-Corruption Commission, which has given him until January 8 to explain where it came from.

Siriwit said the economy was suffering under the current administration and the country was further at risk because some members of the international community refuse to associate with a military autocracy.

He added that the government never “listened to the people” and often violated basic rights, and that speculation over government corruption was on the rise.

He called for the NLA to hold a no-confidence vote within one month. If it did not, he said, his group, the People’s Start Up, would take action outside parliament.

A representative of an NLA whip received the petition and agreed to forward it for consideration.

Meanwhile, key Pheu Thai figure Chaturon Chaisang attended his third plaintiff testimony at the military court on Friday.

He is charged with sedition and computer crime based on a speech he gave at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand in 2014.

After failing to reach agreement on Thursday, the committee decided on Friday morning to delete the clause from the organic bill governing the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC).

The move was made during the second session of the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) meeting.

Pol Gen Chatchawan Suksomjit, head of the vetting committee, admitted that the stipulation had triggered serious concern among the general public as well as legislators.

It was best to simply drop the clause, he said.

The stipulation had been widely criticised for its potential to sanction invasion of privacy. The NLA was also concerned that it was vulnerable to abuse in the wrong hands.

Newly graduating from the law faculty, the Pai Dao Din member was unable to join his fellow grads on commencement day as he has been detained at a provincial prison for over a year.

Jatupat had been accused for allegedly violating the lese majeste law and the computer crime bill for sharing a BBC Thai article on his Facebook account last December. They were among a number of charges that the defiant pro-democracy activist is facing for having campaigned against the ruling junta.

Many bail attempts have been made but all were refused.

On Thursday, he was brought from Khon Kaen Special Correctional Institution to provide testimony at the 23rd Military Circle Court together with another seven defendants for a charge of allegedly breaking the junta’s ban of political gathering of five or more people in July 2016.

That court appearance was when Jatupat was given a brief moment wearing his graduation gown. He enjoyed the usual graduation photos taken with parents – and supporters – and smiling before being detained again.

In October, a military prosecutor filed charges against the eight for they organising a public forum at Khon Kaen University to discuss the then-draft charter. The prosecutor deemed the act a violation of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) order No. 3/2015.

It was a month before the junta-written draft received nationwide approval via a tightly controlled referendum. The “Vote No” campaigners were suppressed or even arrested for breaking the junta order.

The defendants’ lawyer, Yaowalak Anupan, said that she called for the charges to be dropped, not only because the then-active referendum bill endorsed “rights and freedom to express faithful opinions” but also because the activists were merely exchanging thoughts on the Kingdom’s highest law.

“It should not be considered as ganging up for political purposes as accused,” the lawyer said.

THE ORGANIC bill on the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), which would allow it to wiretap phone calls and other communications, was yesterday fiercely debated in the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) and seriously criticised for possible intrusions of privacy.

Legislators expressed concern that the stipulation was a double-edged sword and could hurt not only the agency but also people in the current regime once the political situation changes.

NLA members opposed to the NACC’s wiretapping authority encouraged the vetting committee or the NACC to withdraw the stipulation, rather than force the NLA to vote on the issue.

After almost five hours of heated debate, with the NACC refusing to back down, NLA Vice President Surachai Liangboonlertchai had to adjourn the session for 10 minutes before deciding to close the meeting and discuss the issue again today.

NACC President Pol General Watcharapol Prasarnrajkit

People’s rights affected

The stipulation was initiated by the vetting committee and passed on to members of the NLA and the NACC. Among them was NACC President Pol General Watcharapol Prasarnrajkit, who yesterday argued that the bill laid out strict procedures and the wiretapping would not be able to be carried out arbitrarily.

The NACC could only wiretap phone calls or other communications of people who were accused of |fraud or being unusually rich, and with a court’s permission, Watcharapol said.

As agencies such as the Narcotics Control Board and Anti-Money Laundering Office already had the capability to conduct such operations, the NACC president said the NACC’s mission was equally important and the agency should have the same authority.

A minority on the vetting committee, including former NACC member Vicha Mahakun, Constitution drafter Pattara Khumpitak and other NLA members saw the issue differently, expressing concern that such power could be dangerous if it falls into the wrong hands.

NLA member Tuang Antachai said not only the current NACC commission would have the power but also future commissions selected by MPs and the Senate.

Another legislator, Somchai Sawangkarn, said the stipulation could be abused for reprisals, adding that the NACC had the capability to close cases without relying on wiretapping.

Vicha and Constitution drafters Pattara and Pakorn Nilprapan added that the stipulation could also undermine the NACC’s integrity.

Vicha said the NACC was a semi-judicial agency with the responsibility of conducting trials, rather than just investigations, adding that such a proactive power to wiretap phone calls was unnecessary.

Other critics said the stipulation would create an atmosphere of mistrust, while the public would be concerned that it was an intrusion of privacy, which would foster feelings of hostility towards the NACC.

Pakorn said people would trust the agency and provide it with tips based on its good relationship with the public. On the contrary, if the NACC insists on pursuing eavesdropping powers, people’s rights would be affected and they would be dissatisfied with the agency, he added.

Watcharapol responded that the NLA should trust that a good law would result in the recruitment of “good people” who would not abuse their power.

However, he also added that abuse was unlikely given that the new legislation laid out harsh punishment for a commissioner who violates the law – twice the punishment of ordinary people.

A letter from the Land Department’s legal bureau has been circulating within the department and also forwarded to a former reformer of the now-defunct National Reform Steering Assembly, which pushed forward the issue in its forest reform expediting plan last year. The idea behind the letter, to protect state land from false claims using the Sor Khor 1 documents, was approved in September by the department’s law scrutiny committee and its director general.

The department is now in the process of forwarding the proposal to concerned bodies, including the Cabinet as well as the Council of State. The move, it noted, followed what suggested by the NRSA’s forest reform expediting committee.

Under the committee’s plan, Article 8 paragraph 4 under the “land law” section would be amended to authorise additional bodies to work alongside the Lands Department to oversee issuing of land deeds. They would together endorse before the courts the issuance of land deeds to individuals who had proved their rights to make claims to occupied land through a Sor Khor 1 document process.

The Sor Khor 1 is an official claim certificate issued to citizens shortly after the 1954 land law was promulgated to confirm their right to claims to occupied land plots. However, the documents marked land plot boundaries in a vague manner. For instance, it might say only that the northern boundary of the land plot is close to a stream.

Six decades later, the documents are often being cunningly used to exaggerate the extent and boundaries of a land claim, or claim multiple different plots. The misrepresentation is a particular problem where forest lands are concerned, resulting in loss of public land and misuse of what should be protected parklands. The processes of exaggerating the land claims are known as swollen Sor Khor1 and flying Sor Khor 1.

As there are around 4.25 million claim documents lined up for processing for land deed issuance, the Sor Khor 1 document has become a major concern for those trying to prevent false claims over state land.

Assistant Professor Khwanchai Duangsathaporn, the ex-NRSA reformer, and now a member of the natural resources and environment reform committee, saw the pending legal amendment as a boon for the country’s efforts to protect its vulnerable forests. The professor posted on his Facebook, saying it’s another step forward in forest reform. The issue has also been addressed as part of the new natural resources and environment reform plan, about to be submitted to the government this month, he added.

“You will know immediately when you see it. This is to let you know in advance when [the ban would be lifted], said Wissanu, the government’s legal chief.

Government spokesperson Lt Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd earlier hinted that it would be after the MPs election bill is promulgated, possibly in June next year.

The invocation of Article 44 was announced on Tuesday with its prime purpose to help ease time limits for political parties to pursue some activities, including updating and registering their party membership. Under the previous deadline, that would have to be done by January 5. But the Tuesday announcement extended the deadlines to be in line with the first periods addressed under the law, Wissanu said. For instance, registration of party membership would be given another 90 days.

The amendment would facilitate new parties catching up with old parties as they have to start from scratch, Wissanu said. New parties would need to register their parties, recruit founders and members, select their executives, and so on, he said.

Wissanu insisted that the extension of the party’s administrative periods would not affect the roadmap to the election, which would be held in November 2018.

Meanwhile, Wissanu also said the national strategy would be completed in January next year. The reform plans, he added, would also be submitted for further implementation by the government this month. The reform committees would then be tasked with monitoring implementation of the plan over the next five years.