Don was referring to a letter from Amnesty’s headquarters in the United Kingdom to Prime MinisterPrayut Chan-o-cha and him, urging Prayut who is also chief of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) to cancel NCPO order No 3/2015 and drop all charges against political activists.

Amnesty issued the letter after four student activists were arrested by security officials last Wednesday on charges of holding an illegal gathering at Thammasat University’s Rangsit campus. The Military Court released the students the next day but police warned the students they would be rounded up again if they gathered illegally.

NCPO order 3/2015 features measures to deal with any action intended to undermine or destroy peace and national security, violate notifications or orders of the NCPO, or to commit offences under the laws on firearms, ammunition, explosives, fireworks and artificial weapons which threaten the peace and security of the nation.

Don said he would like to invite representatives of the rights body to talk to him at the ministry about the matter.

“How could the government not have taken action against the students if they had not had ulterior motives or a hidden agenda?” Don said.

“This is an issue of three, five or ten students and then they said it is a national problem. If it happens to a small group of people who are deemed to have ulterior or suspicious intent, it is not a national issue,” he said.

Don questioned Amnesty’s motives for its move on social media to click like and share on its message “so Thailand drops charges against the students”.

“Do you have a hidden agenda for highlighting this issue? Don’t you have anything to do? We have many other issues to address for a majority of our people, why did you look at the issue of a few people and say it is a national problem?” the minister said.

“If there is an issue involving most of the people and we ignore the problem, then they can blame the government,” he said.

Don raised concern that Amnesty may have stirred up sentiment to mislead the world community to misunderstand the government, that it has violated human rights.

Asked if he believed that Amnesty had influence over other countries, Don said many countries do not pay attention to the rights body. “Thailand is the most gentle country in the world,” he said.

Don said the government had never restricted press freedom. Thai media can criticise the PM every day. “Do you really believe that Thais do not have freedom of expression?” Don asked reporters.

DESPITE BEING “disowned” by the Democrat Party, Bangkok Governor MR Paribatra Sukhumbhand yesterday denied rumours that he wanted to quit the party so he could create a new one with former party secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban.

Speaking at the Thai-Japanese Youth Centre, Sukhumbhand maintained he would not quit theDemocrat Party and denied discussions on the topic with Suthep. He also refused to respond to the party’s recent announcement that it was disowning him, saying he would now have to be responsible for his own actions.

The party has distanced itself from Sukhumbhand, claiming that he failed to be accountable when he refused to respond to several allegations levelled against him. Sukhumbhand has been embroiled in several scandals and alleged irregularities in connection with city administration projects.

Sukhumbhand, however, insists that he will remain Bangkok governor until his term is completed in about a year.

Meanwhile, polls showed that Sukhumbhand’s ratings have been plummeting during his two years and nine months in office. A January 22-25 survey involving 1,185 respondents showed that he had earned an overall score of 5.87 points out of a possible 10, an overall decline of 0.35 points since the previous survey.

Asked if they would vote for Sukhumbhand in the next gubernatorial elections, 30 per cent of respondents said they would not, 27 per cent said they would and 42 per cent said they were not sure.

Of the total respondents, 25 per cent said the governor had shown no outstanding achievements, 58 per cent believed he had demonstrated some achievements and 9 per cent said they had seen concrete results.

His job-approval rating, however, has dropped in every aspect from turning Bangkok into a “green city” to making the capital more convenient for residents. The score ranking his devotion to work was the highest returned at 5.62, while he got the lowest score of 5.06 points on addressing grievances. His score on honesty fell the most, by 1.04 points, followed by his implementation of policies with a decline of 0.77, while his scores on swiftly addressing problems and innovation shared the same decline of 0.73.

Separately, Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva apologised to Bangkok residents on Saturday for his party’s failure to monitor the city administration’s work. The following day, Abhisit went toSamui at Suthep’s invitation to help raise funds to build a college.

Suthep, chairman of the Great Mass of People’s Foundation for Thailand’s Reforms, dismissed speculation that he would form a new political party with Sukhumbhand.

“I will not rejoin the Democrat Party. I will not set up a new party to compete with the Democrats,” he said.

He also denied inviting Abhisit and Sukhumbhand to Samui to help bridge the divide between the governor and the party, saying he would not meddle in his old party’s internal affairs.

“The Democrats have to deal with the issue. It’s none of my business.

“I have left the party and it’s not fair if I comment about it,” he said.

With the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) banning gatherings of five or more people, some political clubs started to rely on online platforms to brainstorm on the draft, Pheu Thaiexecutive Chaturon Chaisang said.

Weng Tojirakarn, a key member of the red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), agreed, saying discussions on the subject have already kicked off on several web boards.

Some groups have also had informal chats on the subject at social events or over dinner, they said.

Both UDD and Pheu Thai have called on the NCPO to drop the ban, saying people should be allowed to openly discuss the draft, but have received no response, they said.

Communicating with the public openly is very important, especially during the referendum, Chaturon noted, adding that it is quite clear that the draft is “problematic to democracy”.

“The government should be open to hear voices from all sides, not just from its supporters, otherwise the referendum will just be a waste of money,” he said.

People’s Democratic Reform Foundation (PDRF) figure Satit Wongnongtaey, however, said the foundation has no trouble following the ban as it believes in adhering to the law. It has no plans to gather comments from its members on the draft, he said, adding that they already shared a common focus on reforms.

Chaturon, Weng and Satit all said they were not planning to get together with other political groups to jointly call on the government to lift the ban on gatherings.

Chaturon reasoned that the NCPO should be aware of the reaction the ban was getting, while Weng said ill-intentioned individuals could use such a move as a means to uproot the charter and pose an obstacle to his group’s moves to fight military rule.

Kasit Piromya, former Democrat MP and National Reform Steering Assembly (NRSA) member, was the first person to call for the lifting of the ban, saying it would provide room for inclusiveness and participation from political parties and groups on the charter draft and reforms. He said he put this proposal forward in his capacity as NRSA member, not as a Democrat.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said campaigning ahead of the referendum would be allowed, but would not be held too soon. If possible, people should be provided with the pros and cons of the draft so they can decide for themselves whether to vote for or against it.

He said he was not certain if the proposal to hold public debates between politicians and members of the Constitution Drafting Commission was a good idea, as people should spend time studying the heavy content rather than concentrating on heated debates.

The premier however refused to elaborate on plans to handle possible scenarios if the draft fails to pass.

“I’ve already thought of a solution,” he said. “But I will talk about it [if] the draft is really turned down,”

“Some of the charter would be used [to conduct a general election] if the new draft is rejected,” the premier said.

Such a charter would contain only one to three articles pertaining to how the election would be held, human rights and democracy, he said. However, he added that additional legislation could be written in line with the government’s reform initiatives on specific issues.

Asked whether that charter would reflect the 2014 interim charter that is currently in force – a possibility mentioned by Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC) chairman Meechai Ruchupan on Monday – the premier only replied “I’ll sort it out on my own”,

The government’s legal team will take care of any amendments to the interim charter to enable the election to be held, Prayut said

He added that he regularly receives reports about the details of the draft from the CDC, but he refused to comment saying now was not the time to do so.

Addressing security issues and possible political unrest prior to a general election, the prime minister said he would not use force against fellow Thais.

“I will let things be, if people still want to be in a cave and if they still [want to] fight against each other. Be prepared for a failed state,” he said.

For the sake of the country, Prayut added, he was also willing to face the consequences because of his use of the interim charter’s Article 44, which granted him absolute power since the risk despite the risk that such powers meant that he must take final responsibility.

“Did I bear [the consequences from] Article 44 for my own [benefit]? If not for the country, then what else?” the premier asked rhetorically.

Government spokesperson Maj-General Sansern Kaewkamnerd said plans in case the draft was rejected needed to remain behind closed doors at present to avoid criticism and clashes between political blocs.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said he could not see how the current interim charter could become permanent given its temporary status. “Meechai might [have had] something sarcastic about this,” he said.

CDC commissioners yesterday refuted Meechai’s earlier statement, which claimed that the interim charter would be all that remained if the new draft failed to pass in a referendum.

Commissioners Chartchai Na Chiangmai and Norachit Sinhaseni said yesterday that Meechai had only been talking according to his own principles. They added that if the new charter does not go into effect, the interim charter will retain its authority but that did not mean it would remain in perpetuity.

The CDC is scheduled to release its draft on Friday. Norachit added that the CDC would meet with the media after the release and respond to any inquiries.

In the report filed at Khlong Luang Police Station, Sirawit, 23, said that four to eight men dressed like soldiers entered the university in two pickup trucks with no licence plates at 10.30pm.

He said he was arrested without being told of what charges he faced and did not know who the men were or which agency they came from. He said they presented no arrest warrant before taking him into custody. He called for police to identify the men and find out what agency they work for.

Scores of reporters turned up at the police station when Sirawit filed the complaint yesterday.

National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) chairman Vas Tingsamit said the agency learned that a military court had issued a warrant for the arrest of Sirawit, but it would have to check and see if the method used to arrest him was legal.

Security-camera footage showed three uniformed soldiers grab Sirawit on a street outside the university. He was then seen being frog-marched into a car and driven away in front of stunned bystanders. Sirawit spent the night at Nimit Mai Police Station in Bangkok and was then handed over to Thon Buri Railway Police.

Three other student activists wanted for the same charge of gathering illegally – Chonthicha Jangrew, Chanoknan Ruamsap and Korakot Sangyenphan – were arrested the next morning when they showed up to visit Sirawit at the Railway Police Station.

They were released on Thursday after the military court rejected a police request for the four student activists to be detained.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan yesterday denied receiving a letter from Amnesty International calling on the PM to drop charges against the activists.

The letter addressed to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha urges him to cancel National Council for Peace and Order No 3/2558 and drop all charges against political activists.

Prawit, however, insisted that he had not seen the letter and denied that any rights had been violated in the country.

“Most foreign countries understand us. No one disagrees with us. They understand that it is Thailand’s internal affairs. We just want to restore peace. The country must move forward. Polling results confirm our belief that we have taken the right path.”

He said the individuals facing charges wanted democracy, and the government wanted to bring back democracy. “But we have a road map to democracy and we are drafting a constitution,” he said.

Meanwhile, deputy National Police chief Pol General Sriwara Ransibhram-anakul said the court had released Sirawit because the offence he committed was not serious and he was still a student.

But Sriwara warned Sirawit that if he and his friends committed the offence again, they would face the same charges again.

Maj-General Singsuk Meethong, commander of the 14th Military Circle said yesterday that his unit had summoned Jakrapol Polla-or, a student of Chon Buri’s Burapha University, in for questioning after he and other students were caught distributing leaflets criticising the government.

Singsuk said he had told the student that though he had the right to write political analyses, distributing them was illegal. He then said that the students had promised him that they would only write articles, not distribute them.

In response to the incident, Prayut said that security officials had been lenient with the students and if they enforced the law strictly, there would be too many hassles.

As for Amnesty International’s call for Prayut to drop the charges against the students, Prayut said law is enforced on violators. “The law is the law, otherwise we would not be able to enforce it. Do not link human rights with the enforcement of law,” he said.

Separately, Office of Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission secretary-general Prayong Preeyajit said the agency would wrap up its investigation into alleged corruption in the construction of Rajabhakti Park in Prachuap Khiri Khan province by the end of this month.

He said his agency had interrogated people suspected of being involved in alleged kickbacks during the building of the park, except for those who fled and are still at large.

 

CONCERN HAS increased with the likelihood that the post-coup interim charter will be in place longer if the new draft constitution fails to pass a national referendum.

Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC) chairman Meechai Ruchupan said yesterday that the current charter would stay in place if the new draft charter were rejected by the public.

“If the draft doesn’t pass the plebiscite, it means we do not have a constitution. What’s left is the present charter. It would still be in effect,” he said before the CDC’s daily meeting.

Meechai was referring to the interim charter imposed by the military after its 2014 coup, CDC spokesman Chartchai Na Chiangmai told The Nation yesterday.

Politicians are worried harsh and strict provisions in the interim charter, as well as special powers under the controversial Article 44, will remain in effect for too long. And that would mean a further delay in the next general election, which is currently expected to be held around the middle of next year.

Red-shirt leaders have threatened to campaign against the charter draft, although the country’s largest political parties, Pheu Thai and the Democrats, have not made their standpoints clear.

The interim charter does not have clear provisions in case a new draft charter is rejected in a national vote.

The CDC chief said it would be inappropriate to include such conditions, adding “then nobody would care even to read the draft”. Besides, Meechai said, including provisions in case the draft is rejected could signify that the draft was so “poor” that there needed to be a “plan B” even before it was finished.

Should this draft charter fail in a national vote, many observers expect the military’s ruling National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) to appoint yet another constitutional drafting panel, pick a previous charter or write an entirely new constitution.

Democrat Party deputy leader Nipit Intrasombat yesterday said Meechai was right that the interim charter would continue to be in effect if the draft fails. It is the junta’s job to make clear what would happen after the referendum, he said.

The politician added that if the charter failed, the “road map to democracy” would be killed and the election postponed. The military-installed government would continue to stay in power.

‘Clear timeframe’

“Everything needs a time frame. It should be stipulated clearly what’s next if the draft does not pass a plebiscite. The National Council for Peace and Order has to decide on this. Just to continue staying in power is not going to be easy,” Nipit said.

Weng Tojirakarn, a leader of the red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), yesterday said continuing with the current interim charter was tantamount to returning to dictatorship.

He said the interim charter contained draconian provisions such as Article 44 that granted absolute power to the NCPO head, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

“It will solely depend on the military-installed government and its [decision] what to do if the charter draft is rejected,” he said.

Pheu Thai Party executive Chaturon Chaisang said it would be a normal practice to adhere to the current law if the draft proposal were rejected.

However, Chaturon agreed that the junta would have a difficult task deciding the next move, including planning for another drafting process and returning the Kingdom to democracy as fast as possible.

“It’s impossible to stay under the interim charter forever,” he said.

Many are calling for amendments to the interim charter to cover relevant issues, as well as to clarify the ambiguous Article 37, which is widely interpreted as requiring a draft charter to gain the majority of votes of all eligible voters rather than those who actually turn out to vote.

Meechai said yesterday that an amendment was unnecessary as long as key players – the so-called “five rivers” organisations that have exercised power since the coup – had a common perception that the Article 37 stipulation referred to “the majority of voters who turn out”. But he added that if there were questions among the post-coup agencies, it was not the CDC’s business.

Another question has been raised whether the issue would delay a referendum if someone lodges a complaint with the Constitutional Court requesting a clarification. Meechai responded that the government could consult the court before making a decision whether to amend the draft charter.

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam, who is in charge of the government’s legal affairs, yesterday said authorities were considering what to do if the draft charter fails to pass in a referendum.

“The NCPO will not remain in power forever. The road map has a clear time frame,” he said, adding that Prayut has said the next general |election will be held in July 2017.

Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva and Sukhumbhand were among those who joined the SamuiFestival at the invitation of the party’s former secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban, who now chairs the Great Mass of People’s Foundation for Thailand’s Reforms. Other ex-Democrats there included Sathit Wongnongtoey and Thaworn Senneam.

It was hoped their presence at the event would also raise the profile of Koh Samui as a world-class tourist destination and raise funds to build a college on the island.

Abhisit on Saturday apologised to Bangkok residents for what he termed as failure to monitor and check the work of Sukhumbhand, who has won two consecutive gubernatorial terms and has one year left under his second term.

Scandals

The Bangkok governor is embroiled in several scandals, including corruption allegations.

They include his failure to solve the city’s flooding problem, alleged irregularities in the procurement of 47,000 security cameras, the Bt39-million “Bangkok Light of Happiness” display and extending BTS Krungthep Thanakom Co Ltd’s contract to operate Skytrain services for another 30 years, even though the company has 17 years remaining on its current contract.

In a statement last week, the Democrat Party said Sukhumbhand was responsible for his own actions after he claimed he was too busy to discuss the accusations with the party.

Despite being disowned, Sukhumbhand insisted he would not quit the party and would continue to work till his term ended.