Nitirat has second thoughts about campaign | Bangkok Post: news

A proposal by a group of Thammasat law lecturers to devise a new political order has unified political camps that are normally at each other's throats.

The Nitirat group proposes amending laws governing important national institutions, including the monarchy.

While amending the lese majeste law is only part of its vision, most criticism has centred on this aspect of the changes.

Although the Nitirat group insists its intentions are innocent, it is being denounced and possibly victimised for political gain.

The rancour has grown to such a crescendo that the group is considering whether to drop its campaign.

The Nitirat group, which consists of seven Thammasat University law lecturers, is proposing amendments to Section 112 of the Criminal Code (the lese majeste law) and wants the constitution to be rewritten to reform the royal institution, judiciary, armed forces and political institutions in an effort to expand democracy and the rule of law.

The proposal has emerged at a time when society is embroiled in political conflict.

Many parties and activist groups have taken the opportunity to announce their allegiance to the royal institution, as if the Nitirat group has none of its own.

The Pheu Thai Party and the armed forces have expressed opposition to any effort to amend the lese majeste law and vow to protect the royal institution. Some quarters have cast doubts on whether some red shirt supporters in the ruling party, and its de facto leader Thaksin Shinawatra, are loyal to the monarchy. They insist they are.

"We must not involve the institution," said Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra of the Pheu Thai Party. "Thais must protect the royal institution and must not use it for any other purpose. We must join forces to protect the institution," she said.

Pheu Thai leader Yongyuth Wichaidit and Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung of the same party have echoed Ms Yingluck's sentiments on Section 112. "This issue has never been in our mind," Mr Yongyuth said.

Mr Chalerm said: "The government and the Pheu Thai Party will never change Section 112 of the Criminal Code. Even the thought of it can send us to hell."

Worajet Pakheerat, a member of Nitirat, said his group had innocent intentions.

Another group member, Piyabutr Saengkanokkul, said the group wanted to protect honest and academic debate on the royal institution and did not think that those who make public their opinions should be prosecuted.

In light of the response to the group's proposal, Mr Piyabutr said Nitirat would decide in a week whether to proceed with its call for the changes.

Pairote Polapet, a Law Reform Commission member, is afraid the Nitirat group is being pilloried for political gain.

People took fright at its proposal for a new charter "to reform the royal institution, the judiciary, the armed forces and political institutions". They worried that law changes would be used to create a new political order.

"As society won't accept the Nitirat group's proposals, parties that used to have different political standpoints now express the same stance: that the royal institution must be protected.

"Even political groups that have problems were forced to quickly announce their loyalty too," Mr Pairote said.

Assistant Prof Wuthisak Lapcharoensap, president of Ramkhamhaeng University, said the Nitirat group is innocent.

"They should not be made political victims," he said.

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