Bid to remove ‘anti-monarchy’ findings from amnesty debate

The Thai Sang Thai (TST) Party has advised that a study made controversial by its recommendation that lese majeste offenders be covered by an amnesty law be withdrawn from the House debate agenda on Thursday.
Chawalit Wichayasut, a deputy leader of the six-MP TST, said the government, which sponsored the study, should protect the monarchy instead of brokering an amnesty for offenders convicted of harming it.
Section 6 of the constitution stipulates clearly that the monarch assumes a position of reverence and is inviolable. No person can accuse or seek prosecution of the monarch.
The government has the constitution-given duty to defend the monarch, Mr Chawalit said, noting laws are in place in many countries to provide legal safeguards for their heads of state and leaders.
According to the TST deputy leader, the study, commissioned by a special House committee, is flawed and should be taken off Thursday’s House meeting agenda for revision.
Mr Chawalit said the study would be returned to the committee for discussion and subsequently put to the House for debate only when revisions are made to straighten out the proposed coverage of the lese majeste offenders clause.
If the study was submitted to parliament as is, the debate would likely be rocked by protests within the chamber, according to Mr Chawalit.
The opposition TST is not represented on the special committee.
The study has sparked opposition from the coalition Bhumjaithai and United Thai Nation parties, which maintain that those who violate the lese majeste law must be excluded from an amnesty.
Proponents, however, have argued the lese majeste charges are politically motivated, and offenders should therefore be granted amnesty.
Last month, Nikorn Chamnong, secretary of the special House committee, said the panel had prepared answers to various questions expected from lawmakers regarding the study report, ranging from the bill’s contentious points to how an ad hoc committee will be formed to design the amnesty legislation.
Mr Nikorn said the special committee was inconclusive about whether the bill should cover an amnesty for Section 112 offenders.
Meanwhile, Mr Chawalit said there are more important considerations to consider than enacting the law to invoke amnesty that absolves lese majeste offenders.
For one, the offenders can always appeal for royal clemency during trial and royal pardon after they have been convicted of lese majeste charge.
Also on Monday, Pramual Pongthawaradet, a deputy leader of the Democrat Party and a Prachuap Khiri Khan MP, said the party felt the report was incomplete and needed reworking, which should not be too hard to do.
Mr Pramuala also reiterated the party’s stance not to vote to undo punishments for lese majeste offenders.