A majority of people do not agree with granting amnesty for political offenders in connection with violent protests between Sept 19, 2006 - May 10, 2011, according to the latest NIDA Poll conducted by the National Institute on Development Administration.
The opinion survey involved 1,252 respondents from all walks of life in all regions from March 11-12.
A majority of the respondents, 57.43%, said they did not agree with the proposed amnesty, reasoning that wrongdoers must be punished and that the proposal seemed to be favouring a certain group of people; 31.71% agreed with it; and 10.86% were uncertain about the issue.
Asked who should be granted amnesty, 34.34% of those who agreed with the proposal said it should be for both the protesters and protest leaders; 29.80% said only the protesters should be amnestied; 20.45% said only those who broke the law should be amnestied; 8.08% said it should be granted to the protest leaders only; and 7.32% were not certain.
Asked if they believed the amnesty proposed by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), if taken up for consideration in the House of Representatives, would lead to violence in society, 59.03% said 'yes', 19.65% said 'no', and the rest were not certain.