The House committee tasked with scrutinising amnesty bills has resolved unanimously that politically-motivated criminal offences, which were committed by individuals since 2005, should be granted amnesty.
Regarding lèse majesté and offences against the Queen, the Heir-apparent or the Regent, in accordance with sections 112 and 110 of the Criminal Code, the House committee acknowledged the political sensitivity of such offences and decided not to vote on the issue, due to divided opinions among committee members.
According to Chusak Sirinil, the committee chairman, there are three different opinions. The first is that the offenders should not be granted amnesty. Another insists that the offenders should be granted amnesty unconditionally and the third is that amnesty should be granted, but with conditions attached, to ensure that the offenders do not repeat such offences.
Regarding offences against the lives of the other people, or offences which are gross violations of human rights, such as murder, the committee agreed that these should be excluded from the amnesty bill.
Chusak said that the duty of the committee is to study the amnesty issue and to collect all relevant opinions for the House within this month.
Move Forward Party Leader Chaithawat Tulathon said that all parties represented on the committee will fine-tune their respective amnesty bills for resubmission to the House for deliberation.
As far as Sections 110 and 112 of the Criminal Code are concerned, he said he has been assigned by the committee chairman to work out and gauge the opinions of the people about the measures needed to prevent offenders from repeating such offences.
He noted that the notion of such measures, to prevent repetition of the offences, is unprecedented in Thai society, as they pertain to lèse majesté charges and charges under Section 110, and this may convince conservatives to accept the amnesty bill.
Palang Pracharath party leader, Gen Prawit Wongsuwan, has however, ordered all the party’s MPs to reject every amnesty bill proposed by political parties, including the core coalition party, Pheu Thai.
Paibul Nititawan, deputy leader of the coalition member party, said today that General Prawit has stressed the party’s position, which is to protect the Monarchy and to oppose any amnesty bills which seek to exonerate those charged with lèse majesté.
He said that many people in this country remain loyal to the Monarchy and they may protest if parliament approves the amnesty bills, claiming that such bills would contravene Constitutional Court Ruling 3 2567.
